Biomedical Waste Management (BMW) Assessment at the RHC Regional Hospital in Tangier, Morocco

Abstract

Biomedical waste is a real danger to public health and the environment. The quantity of this waste, mainly from hospitals, is constantly increasing, leading to various forms of pollution. This is a cross-sectional, observational study that took place in 2017. A questionnaire was submitted to nurses, doctors and those responsible for hospital hygiene and the operation of waste incinerators to assess the mechanisms and knowledge of medical staff in terms of biomedical waste management. It was confirmed that the hospital wastes are still poorly managed due to the absence of a plan or program for MPSD in all the structures studied, which attests to the non-application of the regulations in force and an inadequate internal management system in most laboratories. Due to the non-availability of health technicians and the lack of material resources in quality and quantity, a staff that is poorly informed about the regulations that apply to BMW, and a poorly recognized and disrespected BMW process that breaks even the clearest instructions regarding incineration and landfill disposal. It has become very urgent to adopt new strategies to be planned for an adequate training to be included for better medical waste management.