A Survey of the Effectiveness of Management Programs in Reducing Infectious Medical Waste Produced at Imam Khomeini Hospital of Sardasht

Hospital waste constitutes a large part of municipal waste and is considered a potential health hazard. In fact, infectious wastes can have adverse impacts on the health of individuals. This study aimed to determine the effect of management programs on the generation of infectious wastes at Imam Khomeini Hospital of Sardasht. In this cross-sectional study, effective methods for reducing infected wastes produced at Imam Khomeini Hospital of Sardasht were evaluated during the first half of 2012. Data were collected using daily report forms of hospital waste separation during the study period and were classified according to each hospital department. For data analysis, paired sample t-test was performed, using SPSS. Application of waste management strategies, despite increasing the number of patients, led to a decrease in infected waste generation per capita per day from 3.66 in the first six months of 2011 to 2.69 in the first months of 2012. The infected waste generated per capita in the first six months of 2011 and 2012 were 94.71 and 78.19 kg per day, respectively. Overall, the produced infected waste after the application of management programs reduced by 17.44% in 2012. According to the obtained results, management programs including source reduction and separation methods can be effective and applicable in controlling and reducing the production of infected wastes. Implementation of these programs requires continuous monitoring, assesssment and identification of effective factors for infected waste production by health experts, and the collaboration of other sectors and staff.