Experts in the health sector have lamented the state of healthcare waste management, calling on the federal government to enact policies, regulations and statutes in order to promote good practice in the management of healthcare waste in the country.
Leroy Edozien, the Dean, of the Faculty of Health Law and Humanities of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, disclosed this at a meeting held on ‘Legal, Policy and Implementation Issues in Healthcare Waste Management’ organised by the faculty in collaboration with the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.
According to Edozien, “healthcare waste is any waste produced in hospitals, laboratories, research facilities and homes as a result of medical procedures.”
Edozien added that healthcare waste poses harm to health workers, the public, and the environment.
The experts at the meeting were Obiora Ezeudu of the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada; Rotimi Adeyemi, Secretary, West African Postgraduate College of Environmental Health; Cyril Akinyele, President, Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter; Francis Ejiroghene, Member, House of Representatives representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal constituency; Augustine Ebisike, the pioneer Registrar of the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria; and Hassan Sambo, Head of Environmental Health department, Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Azare, Bauchi State, however, said Lagos State is ahead of other states in the implementation of healthcare waste policies.
They also said that the federal and state governments should make specific budgetary provisions for healthcare waste management. While the education and training of health workers in the management of waste should be prioritized.
Adesegun Fatusi, the Vice Chancellor, of UNIMED, who welcomed the over 100 participants to the meeting, said the university has led the way by devising healthcare waste management guidelines for its campuses.
According to him, “this accounted for convening this meeting to brainstorm on how our society can be helped in healthcare waste management.”
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