Published in:
01-05-2022 | Public Health | Original Article
Medical waste management of village clinics in rural China
Authors:
Qiufeng Gao, Kai Liu, Shuyi Song, Jason Li, Jingchun Nie, Yaojiang Shi, Yaqin Xia, Tina Phillips Johnson, James Cook
Published in:
Journal of Public Health
|
Issue 5/2022
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Abstract
Purpose
Medical waste is rising on policy agendas as a serious public health and environmental issue. The aim of this study was to assess current practices of medical waste management, which include waste generation, collection, storage, segregation, disposal, and use of protective equipment, in village clinics in rural China.
Methods
Based on survey results from 236 randomly selected village clinics in 21 counties from three provinces of China, we used descriptive statistics to determine the medical waste management of village clinics in sample area.
Results
We found that the generation rate of medical waste in sampled village clinics was approximately 0.65 kg per day or 0.17 kg/patient per day on average. Given the large number of primary healthcare facilities and population in rural areas of China, the total quantity of medical waste generated in these facilities is noteworthy. However, we also found poor compliance levels with the national regulations regarding medical waste management practices. A large proportion of medical waste was still not packed in required containers, and almost all village clinics did not segregate correctly. Moreover, a significant portion of village clinics used improper disposal methods and lacked the necessary protective equipment. Medical staff in these facilities pointed out four main difficulties in complying with national regulations: a lack of funding, equipment, designated areas, and management personnel specifically delegated for medical waste management.
Conclusion
These findings suggest that Chinese policymakers and health administrators should pay more attention to rural areas in addressing potentially hazardous medical waste management practices by investing financial support as well as developing specific guidelines tailored to resource-strained rural primary healthcare facilities.