Assessment of medical waste management in the main hospitals in Yemen

No previous studies about the management of medical waste have been published in Yemen. This research in 5 government and 12 private hospitals in Sana’a aimed to evaluate waste-workers’ and hospital administrators’ knowledge and practices regarding medical waste handling. Interviews and observations showed that the waste-workers were collecting medical and nonmedical wastes together manually in all hospitals without receiving adequate training and without using proper protection equipment. There was poor awareness about medical waste risks and safe handling procedures among hospital administrators, and most hospitals did not differentiate between domestic and medical waste disposal. Budgets were not allocated for waste management purposes, which led to shortages in waste handling equipment and an absence of training programmes for staff. Poor knowledge and practices and a high rate of injuries among waste-workers were noted, together with a risk of exposure of staff and visitors to hazardous waste.