ASSESSMENT OF MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICESINSELECTED HOSPITALS IN SURULERE LGA, LAGOS STATE ANDITSEFFECT ON HUMAN POPULATION. (A CASE STUDY: RANDLE GENERAL HOSPITAL, EKOHOSPITAL, ANA SPECIALIST HOSPITALAND LIFELINE CHILDRENHOSPITAL)

The research is focused on the assessment of medical waste management practices in selected hospitals in Surulere LGA, Lagos state and its effect on human population, a case study of Randle general hospital, Eko hospital, Havana specialist hospital and Lifeline children hospital. Medical waste has been defined as any solid waste generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in related research, production or testing of biological from all types of healthcare institutions, includinghospitals, clinics, doctor(dental and veterinary) offices, and medical laboratories. Medical waste can be infectious or non-infectious. It becomes infectious only whenit is capable of producing an infectious disease and it is likely to have been, contaminated byan organism likely to be pathogenic to healthy humans, if such organism is not routinely andfreely available in the community, and such organism has a significant probability of beingpresent in sufficient quantities and with sufficient virulence to transmit disease. The objective of this study is assessing medical waste management practices in selectedhospitals in Surulere LGA, Lagos state and its effect on human population. In the viewof this, 180 questionnaires were disturbed among the respondents to obtain facts. Based on the findings the study recommends training and enlightenment of all hospitals personnel of the potential risk of hospital waste from handling, storage, transport; treatment and disposal, It is also necessary to promote a regular monitoring and evaluation of hospital waste management practices and the performance of the systems periodically.