Title: Medical waste management in private hospitals in Kuwait

Authors: Jasem M. Alhumoud; Nora Al-Mashaan; Hani M. Alhumoud

Addresses: Civil Engineering Department, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat, Kuwait ' Civil Engineering Department, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat, Kuwait ' College of Medicine, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait

Abstract: Hospitals generate and reject material regularly, and improper management of these wastes leads to public health hazards and environmental pollution. The survey presented in this article was carried out in two major private hospitals, namely, Al-Hadi and Al-Salam Hospitals, to determine quantities of different kinds of waste produced, segregated, collected, stored, transported and disposed off. The results indicate that the waste generation rate is between 1.77 kg/bed/day and 3.27 kg/bed/day, comprising 27% of domestic waste, 61% of infectious waste, and 12% of sharps. Segregation of the different types of waste is carried out in nearly all of the hospitals. All infectious/medical wastes are finally disposed off through incineration. The hospitals surveyed do not provide their staff with any training courses on the management of hospital wastes and associated hazards. The study offers suggestions on how existing shortfalls can be remedied.

Keywords: hospital waste; waste generation rate; incineration; Kuwait; medical waste management; private hospitals; waste segregation; training courses.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2014.064302

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2014 Vol.6 No.3, pp.261 - 272

Accepted: 22 Jul 2012
Published online: 30 Aug 2014 *

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