The impact of waste management promotion program in Razi Hospital in Qazvin, Iran (2013-2018)

Health care centers wastes (15-25% hazardous waste)are the second most dangerous waste in the world.Hospitals and medical centers are the major sources of health-care waste generation. The aim ofthis studywas to investigate the effect of waste management promotion program of Razi hospital in Qazvin, Iran during 2013-2018 (6 years).

This interventional study was conducted during 6 years (2013-2018), in which hospital wastes were collected in four main categories quantitatively and the relevant data were collected. Descriptive statistics of percentage and mean were conducted for data analysis using Excel software. Ethical considerations were observed at all stages of the study.

The results showed that the rate of general and hazardous waste generation were 53.3% and 46.7%, respectively. With the implementation of waste management promotion program in 2014 and 2015, hazardous and ordinary wastes percentage reached to 35% and 65%. Similarly, the contribution of hazardous wastes fell down to 32.7% versus to 67.3% of general waste in 2016. Likewise, hazardous wastes were 33.4% and normal wastes were 66.6% in 2017; and in the following year (2018), the contribution of hazardous and general wastes were 30.3% and 69.7%, respectively.

Based on the findings of the present study and comparing them with the mentioned studies, waste management promotion programs in Razi Hospital have been effective. However, it remains far from WHO standards in the field of hazardous waste generation and necessitates continuation of programs and continuous improvement of them.