Officials warn on medical waste disposal
Dec 09, 2008
THE disposal of hospital waste must follow environmental laws, health officials have said.
By Fred Ouma
THE disposal of hospital waste must follow environmental laws, health officials have said.
“In some health facilities, placenta pits are filled with polythene bags and other non-biodegradable wastes,†noted Dr. Kenya Mugisha, the director of health services in the health ministry.
Mugisha was opening a two stakeholders’ meeting on health care waste management at Hotel Triangle in Kampala.
Medical waste refers to waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunisation of human beings or animals and in the production of biological specimens such as vaccines and cultures.
About 15% of waste generated by hospitals is infectious and hazardous.
The head of environmental health at the ministry, Paul Luyima, said if such waste leaks into underground water supplies, the public would be at a great risk.
“Uncontrolled areas for waste can have a direct environmental effect. They can contaminate the soils and underground water.
“However, underground waters only get contaminated when leachate occurs. It happens when rainwater enters the landfill and seeps into the underground water resource, Luyima explained.
Dr. Jacinto Amandua, the commissioner for clinical services, said mismanagement of waste also happens when generators fail to dump their waste at the prescribed areas and dispose of it improperly.
He said Uganda has only one efficient incinerator located in Nakasongola.
“With increasing volume of infectious waste, this poses serious health risks,†noted Amandua.
The environmental regulations call for better waste management, and demand the proper design, construction, operation and maintenance of medical waste incinerators, so as to avoid the formation of pollutants prior to its release in the atmosphere.
THE disposal of hospital waste must follow environmental laws, health officials have said.
“In some health facilities, placenta pits are filled with polythene bags and other non-biodegradable wastes,†noted Dr. Kenya Mugisha, the director of health services in the health ministry.
Mugisha was opening a two stakeholders’ meeting on health care waste management at Hotel Triangle in Kampala.
Medical waste refers to waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunisation of human beings or animals and in the production of biological specimens such as vaccines and cultures.
About 15% of waste generated by hospitals is infectious and hazardous.
The head of environmental health at the ministry, Paul Luyima, said if such waste leaks into underground water supplies, the public would be at a great risk.
“Uncontrolled areas for waste can have a direct environmental effect. They can contaminate the soils and underground water.
“However, underground waters only get contaminated when leachate occurs. It happens when rainwater enters the landfill and seeps into the underground water resource, Luyima explained.
Dr. Jacinto Amandua, the commissioner for clinical services, said mismanagement of waste also happens when generators fail to dump their waste at the prescribed areas and dispose of it improperly.
He said Uganda has only one efficient incinerator located in Nakasongola.
“With increasing volume of infectious waste, this poses serious health risks,†noted Amandua.
The environmental regulations call for better waste management, and demand the proper design, construction, operation and maintenance of medical waste incinerators, so as to avoid the formation of pollutants prior to its release in the atmosphere.