Abstract:

Effective and efficient biomedical wastes management is vital in the health care delivery system, safe environment and public health could possibly be achieved through the standard practices of the biomedical waste procedures with safety measures in place. The study was aimed to evaluate the practices and the level of awareness of health workers towards biomedical waste management in selected hospitals in Abuja. Data were collected by structured questionnaire and on- the-spot observation. Three private and three public hospitals that provided health care services in Abuja were surveyed. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis were used in the analysis of the data. Chi-square (χ²) test was used to determine the level of significance set at p<0.05. The male health workers were 220 (55.00%) and the female were 180 (45.00%) in the survey. The nurses were the highest number of respondents in the study with frequency percentage of 117(28.75%) followed by the laboratory scientists 96 (24.00%), Pharmacists 71 (17.75%, Doctors 64(16.00%) and other health care workers 54 (13.50%). The practices of handling biomedical waste among health workers was a significant factor of biomedical waste management (p<0.05). The awareness on safety measures among health workers was a significant factor of biomedical waste management (p<0.05). Improvement in the aspects of training retraining of health workers will go a long way to fill the lapses in the biomedical waste’s management practices. Government should establish policies and laws to enforce strict compliance in accordance with WHO stipulations.

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