Assessment of WASH & HealthCare Waste Management in a District Hospital: A Case Study of Bangladesh

WASH and Waste management are essential part of the hospital management system with regard to healthy environment and infection control as a preventive measure from spreading diseases. Now-a-days the healthcare waste facilities are giving more emphasis on curative part of treatment rather than the preventative. A significant amount of resources are spent for patients infected with parasitic diseases caused by poor WASH and Waste Management practices. Study shows infected with diseases account for 50 percent of the in-patient bed occupancy, 33 percent of out-patient consultation adding an extra burden to hospital services that are often already overstretched. Providing access to sufficient quantities of safe water, the adequate and sound sanitation facility, proper health-care waste management system and introducing sound hygiene behavioral communication system can reduce the burden of disease transmission. The Essentials of WHO guideline of Environmental Health for infection control and management in the health-care settings and Medical Waste Management Rules 2008 of Government of Bangladesh has been taken as reference to carry out the assessment of WASH and Healthcare Waste Management situation in a District Hospital. It is found from the assessment that both the WASH and Hospital Waste Management situation are not conforming to the standards stated in WHO guideline of Environmental Health and Medical Waste Management Rules of Government of Bangladesh.