Abstract

Healthcare institutions/facilities generate different types of infectious and/or hazardous medical waste from different department in the hospital that poses enormous risk to patients, healthcare providers, waste pickers, and the community at large, if their disposal is not comprehensively and scientifically managed, about 5.2 million people (including 4 million children) die each year from waste related diseases and the hazards of exposure to hospital waste. The study purpose was to assess the factors affecting Medical Waste Disposal at Ishaka Adventist Hospital (IAH), Bushenyi District. The study was conducted at IAH, a descriptive cross-sectional study and quantitative methods of data collection were used targeted health workers age 25 years and above which included; midwives, nurses, nursing aides, laboratory technicians, pharmacist, Medical clinical officers and cleaners in IAH. The total of 44 respondents of which Nurses were (59%), others (laboratory technicians and other supporting staffs at the hospital) were 25%, cleaner (11%) and Medical clinical officers (5%) whom some of them prefer depositing waste using bins (64%) to boxes (36%). The most common method of medical waste disposal reported was open pit burning by 48%, incineration with 43% and least used method was ultra-high temperature with 9%. 93.2%respondents reported having got the training on the job, 6.8% said training was through their professional training at school. The Ministry of Health (MoH) should ensure regular and effective support supervision for Health care waste disposal.