Analysis of the measured medical waste generation rate in Tanzanian district hospitals using statistical methods

Abstract

In this study the medical waste generation rates at Amana and Ligula hospitals were measured and analyzed. The rate of medical waste generation is high; about 2,250 kg/day in Amana and 2,500 kg/day in Ligula hospital. The waste generation rate per patient per day is also high about 1.8 (Amana) and 2.0 (Ligula) kg/patient.day. The daily medical waste generation rate is not constant, and fluctuates randomly. About 6 to 10% of waste generated is left uncollected. Eight medical waste categories were measured and compared: general waste, pathological waste, radioactive waste, chemical waste, infectious waste, sharps waste, pharmaceutical waste, and pressurized containers. The results indicated general waste to have high generation rate while others waste types such as chemical and radioactive wastes have low generation rates. Due to differences in generation rates, the data was normalized in order to compare statistical parameters used to assess medical waste generation rates. The statistical parameters used include: range, skewness, kurtosis, probability density functions and histograms. The study revealed that management of medical waste is still facing critical problems and requires skilled health workers, appropriate technologies and suitable equipment for collection, storage and transportation. The study will enable hospitals to understand trends in variations of medical waste generation and accommodate fluctuations in their plans and budgets.

Key words: Measured medical waste in selected Tanzania district hospitals, variations of waste generation, average waste generation, waste collection efficiency; range of waste generation, normalized waste generation.