Medical Waste Disposal Practices in some Hospitals and Clinical Laboratories in the Accra Metropolis (Ghana)

Abstract

The improper handling or waste disposal of medical waste generated  can pose serious health risk to the generator, solid waste collector and landfill personnel, and everyone in the community. Medical waste practices were assessed in some medical laboratories in the Accra metropolis. This includes some of the hospital and clinic laboratories through the use of questionnaires and onsite inspection. It was observed that, most of the laboratories were not aware of the EPA, only a few segregate their waste before disposal. Most of them just pour their liquid waste down the drain without any treatment. The trucks used for the disposal purposes do not carry the required biohazard sign. In conclusion waste disposal practices were in contravention of the EPA recommendations. This requires an urgent attention and appropriate punitive bill to sanitize the sector

Keywords: medical waste, hospital/clinical laboratories, disposal policies, environmental protection agency (EPA)-, Ghana