Management of waste from health institutions; an intervention study

Wastes from healthcare services have come to the agenda with the organization of healthcare activities and continue to be an important problem for many countries today. However, research in this area, which is critical for human and environmental health, has only intensified in recent years. This suggests that there has been a significant lag in understanding the importance of healthcare waste management and improving the current situation. The World Health Organization identifies the main problems encountered in the management of healthcare waste as low priority, inadequate training in proper waste management and lack of resources. It is known that education is the most effective method to increase the level of knowledge and improve the positive behaviors of healthcare workers. It is stated that waste trainings and information for healthcare workers can prevent wrong practices and increase the level of knowledge and awareness on medical waste. When waste management intervention studies in the literature are evaluated, it is seen that most of the interventions are education-based, and a limited number of studies include multifaceted interventions in addition to education. Although only education intervention is effective on the results, it is stated that its impact on other variables and requirements affecting waste management is low and insufficient to improve the process. Multifaceted interventions result in significant improvements in the volume of waste generated, cost reduction and overall waste management performance. Therefore, it is recommended that healthcare waste management efforts should include multifaceted interventions in addition to educational interventions. In our study, it is aimed to increase the awareness of healthcare personnel against the risks of wastes generated as a result of healthcare services, to complete waste management in a more accurate and safer way by providing qualified personnel trainings and improving activities suitable for waste management in the workplace.