Management of medical waste in health institutions

 The picture above shows an incinerator which is being used for infectious wastes management and it is found in our biggest health facility in Pader district. I am wondering if staff who dispose off this wastes is trained or untrained medical personnel! I think there is need for capacity building to this staff on waste management. What are your views?

  

Medical waste management  is still a big challenge in our country at all levels, both in public and private health institutions, and it is important that government and public health institutions can  manage and handle it well.

• How do you think it is possible for the private health institutions (clinics, pharmacies, drug shops) to manage or handle this waste well ?

• If the above incinerator is where public health facility dispose off  their medical waste, where do private health institutions (clinics, pharmacies, drug shops, etc.) dispose off their infectious/medical wastes and how?

These issues raise fears that our environment is not safe and the population living around is in danger or at risk of infections, environmental degradation and many other consequences due to indiscriminate disposal of medical  wastes.

The picure below is taken at the same health center where the above incinerator is found. See how medical wastes are damped at the verandah of the dispensing room. Most of it is unused condoms.

This leads me to ask if these condoms have expired. If so, why were they kept in the store until they expired without giving them out to the community or to the young people in the district who are most at risk of contracting HIV infection, so that they can be used in the fight against HIV rather than being useless? 

According to a recent study carried out on accessibility of health services by youths in Uganda, most youths feel shy to go for services like collection of condoms and other reproductive health services. So now, I call upon all the youths to feel free and go for these services in health facilities.

My appeal to fellow health workers:

•  Let's sensitize the community on the services available in health facilities so that we join our efforts in the fight against HIV; 

         Disposed condoms and other medical waste in health centers in Uganda






Let's segregate medical wastes and dispose off appropriately. Remember, medical wastes are very dangerous to our environment and very infectious to our people.

Medical waste can result in indiscriminate disposed waste leading to negative consequences. In addition, the infection rate of HIV in Uganda has gone up to 9% among youths but condoms which would protect them from getting HIV&AIDS and sexually transmitted diseses are being disposed off in unsanitary manner. In addition, the local government has spent a lot of money in procuring and purchasing these condoms.

Concerns;

1. Why are youths not accessing these condoms for use?

    2. What can be done to improve on this kind of situation ?