Medical waste management in private hospitals in Kuwait

Hospitals generate and reject material regularly, and improper management of these wastes leads to public health hazards and environmental pollution. The survey presented in this article was carried out in two major private hospitals, namely, Al-Hadi and Al-Salam Hospitals, to determine quantities of different kinds of waste produced, segregated, collected, stored, transported and disposed off. The results indicate that the waste generation rate is between 1.77 kg/bed/day and 3.27 kg/bed/day, comprising 27% of domestic waste, 61% of infectious waste, and 12% of sharps. Segregation of the different types of waste is carried out in nearly all of the hospitals. All infectious/medical wastes are finally disposed off through incineration. The hospitals surveyed do not provide their staff with any training courses on the management of hospital wastes and associated hazards. The study offers suggestions on how existing shortfalls can be remedied.