ABSTRACT
Introduction: The Gauteng Province in South Africa is home to four large
hospitals which generate enormous amounts of waste. However, no formal study
has been done to asses the magnitude of this problem. Health care waste falls
under a cluster of waste which is regarded as hazardous due to its composition
and therefore ability to transmit disease. It has become an important type of waste
mainly because of its ability to transmit HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C among other
infectious diseases. This study attempted to address the knowledge and practices
of doctors and nurses, which are just some of the factors which influence health
care waste management.
Aims: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the current knowledge and
practices of doctors and nurses regarding the management of health care waste.
Methods: This was a descriptive cross sectional study. A self administered
questionnaire was used to collect the data. A total sample of 128 doctors and
nurses was drawn from the Johannesburg Hospital, an academic hospital in the
Gauteng Province.
Results: Although there was overall lack of awareness about the existence of the
international, national, provincial and local documents (Act, Regulation, Manual,
Code of Practice and Policies) regulating heath care waste management, the
majority of the respondents (84%) knew about the existence of the Johannesburg
Hospital’s policy on waste management. Generally, knowledge of nursing staff
was significantly higher than that of doctors. Although some good practices such
as use of gloves were reported, there is generally a lack of knowledge about key
documents regulating health care waste, particularly among the doctors.
Conclusion: This study was the first of its kind to be done at the Hospital. As the
Hospital policy is more accepted and accessible to the health professionals than
the other documents investigated in this study, it should be updated regularly to
incorporate new changes. The Hospital should not only make that policy document
more easily accessible and visible but also strive to reach doctors with training in health care waste management. Continuous monitoring and evaluation is also
necessary to ensure that policies and procedures are followed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/5582 |
| Date | 29 August 2008 |
| Creators | Ramokate, Tuduetso |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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