Survey of Waste Management Practices at Health Centers of Ardebil City

Waste management practices at health centers and health posts is very important due to their significant role on transmission of infectious diseases among hospitalized patients and ordinary people as well as the environmental pollution caused through unsafe collection and disposal. This study aimed to determine the status of waste management at health centers and health posts in Ardabil city.

In this descriptive study, 14 health centers and 14 health posts located in Ardabil city were investigated in 1388. Quantity of waste produced and status of storage, temporary waste sites, collection, and disposal were determined through observation and interview, in accordance with current regulations and recorded in checklist designed for this work.

Daily production of waste in health centers and health posts were 52.925 and 14.84 kg per day, respectively. Daily production rate of regular solid waste in health centers was 36.45 and in health posts was 11.22 kg per day. Daily production rate of infectious waste was 13.555 for health centers and 1.155 kg per day for health posts.

The results obtained indicate that waste management in Ardabil health centers has serious problems and thus, major revision of waste management system is necessary.