Water, sanitation, and hygiene services in health care facilities in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia

Abstract Provision of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in health care facilities is a priority at the global, national, and local levels. To inform improvements planning, conditions of WASH, waste management, and environmental cleaning were assessed in 81 facilities in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia, as part of a nationally representative survey in 2019. The survey included on-site checks, structured interviews, and drinking-water quality analysis. WHO/UNICEF indicators for WASH service levels and an advanced service level defined at the national level were applied. The results showed that all investigated facilities provided basic water services; 94% of facilities provided basic hygiene and waste management services; 58 and 2%, respectively, provided basic cleaning and sanitation services. Only 1% of investigated facilities met the basic level for all five WASH dimensions. Advanced service levels were only met for hygiene, waste management, and/or cleaning in 15–38% of facilities. In 33% of health care facilities, drinking-water quality was not in compliance with the national standards. The results revealed that there is a need for increased awareness and efforts to ensure basic provisions for sanitation, environmental cleaning, and drinking-water safety.

Download Full-text

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Service Availability at Rural Health Care Facilities in Southwestern Uganda

Journal of Environmental and Public Health ◽

10.1155/2018/5403795 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Edgar Mugema Mulogo ◽

Micheal Matte ◽

Andrew Wesuta ◽

Fred Bagenda ◽

Richard Apecu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Centre ◽

High Volume ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Hand Washing ◽

Service Availability ◽

Sanitation And Hygiene ◽

Care Facilities ◽

Improved Sanitation ◽

Southwestern Uganda

There is a paucity of information on the state of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) at health care facilities in Uganda. A survey on WASH service availability was conducted at 50 health care facilities across 4 districts of rural southwestern Uganda between September and November 2015. The main water points at the majority (94%) of the health care facilities were improved sources, while improved toilets were available at 96% of the health care facilities visited. Hospitals had the poorest toilet to patient ratio (1 : 63). Only 38% of the health care facilities had hand washing facilities at the toilets. The lack of hand washing facilities was most prominent at the level IV health centre toilets (71%). Hand washing facilities were available at other points within most (76%) of the health care facilities. However, both water and soap were present at only 24% of these health care facilities. The poor toilet to patient/caregiver ratios particularly in the high volume health care facilities calls for the provision of cheaper options for improved sanitation in these settings. Priority should also be given to the sustainable provision of hygiene amenities such as soap for hand washing particularly the high patient volume health care facilities, in this case the level IV health centres and hospitals.

Download Full-text

Medical waste management practices among selected health-care facilities in Nigeria: A case study

Scientific Research and Essays ◽

10.5897/sre2014.5863 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 431-439 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

O. Olukanni David ◽

E. Azuh Dominic ◽

O. Toogun Tunde ◽

E. Okorie Uchechukwu

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Waste Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Medical Waste ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Care Facilities ◽

Medical Waste Management ◽

Waste Management Practices

Download Full-text

Outcome of Biomedical Waste Management Training Among Staff Nurses of Primary Health Centers of Hassan District

International Quarterly of Community Health Education ◽

10.1177/0272684x20915380 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 0272684X2091538

Author(s):

Venkatesh Gonibeedu ◽

M. Sundar ◽

H. C. Santhosh ◽

D. Mallikarjuna Swamy

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Waste Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Health Centers ◽

Family Welfare ◽

Biomedical Waste ◽

Primary Health ◽

Care Facilities

Introduction Inadequate biomedical waste management not only poses significant risk of infection due to pathogens such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C virus but also carries the risk of water, air, and soil pollution thereby adversely affecting the environment and community at large. Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare commissioned implementation of an Infection Management and Environment Plan (IMEP) in health-care facilities. Hence, this study is undertaken to assess the knowledge, attitude, practice, and gaps in implementing the biomedical waste management practices at the primary health-care facilities. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the Primary Health Centers of Hassan District. Details of knowledge, attitude, and practice of biomedical waste management were collected through observation, staff interview, and record review on the predesigned questionnaire. A score of 0, 1, and 2 was given for noncompliant (0), partially compliant (1), and fully compliant (2), respectively, based on the compliance. A scoring system was devised to evaluate the effectiveness of training as good, average, and poor. A score of >70 was considered as good, 50 to 70 as average, and <50 as poor. Results The mean efficacy score was 63; knowledge was good with a score of 74, attitude was average with a score of 63, and practice was also average with a score of 54. Conclusion There is a need for retraining of all the staff and strict supportive supervision by the district health authorities to ease the implementation requirements.

Download Full-text

Water treatment and handwashing practices in rural Kenyan health care facilities and households six years after the installation of portable water stations and hygiene training

Journal of Water and Health ◽

10.2166/wh.2018.149 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 263-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Anu Rajasingham ◽

Margaret Leso ◽

Samuel Ombeki ◽

Tracy Ayers ◽

Robert Quick

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Drinking Water ◽

Water Treatment ◽

Program Implementation ◽

Health Workers ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Health Providers ◽

Middle Income ◽

Care Facilities ◽

Treatment Knowledge

Abstract Many health care facilities (HCFs) and households in low-and-middle-income countries have inadequate access to water for hygiene and consumption. To address these problems, handwashing and drinking water stations were installed in 53 HCFs with prevention-of-mother-to-child-transmission of HIV programs in Kenya in 2005, and hygiene education was provided to health workers and clinic clients. To assess this program, we selected a random sample of 30 HCFs, observed the percentage of handwashing and drinking water stations that were functional and in use, and after that interviewed health providers and clients about hygiene and water treatment. Results indicated that, six years after implementation, 80.0% of HCFs had at least one functional handwashing station and 83.3% had at least one functional drinking water station. In addition, 60% of HCFs had soap at ≥ one handwashing stations, and 23.3% had ≥ one container with detectable free chlorine. Of 299 clients (mothers with ≥ one child under five), 57.2% demonstrated proper water treatment knowledge, 93.3% reported ever using water treatment products, 16.4% had detectable chlorine residual in stored water, and 89.0% demonstrated proper handwashing technique. Six years after program implementation, although most HCFs had water stations and most clients could demonstrate proper handwashing technique, water stored in most clinics and homes was not treated.

Download Full-text

What it takes to save lives: An assessment of water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities in temporary COVID-19 isolation and treatment centers of Southern Ethiopia: A mixed-methods evaluation

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0256086 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0256086

Author(s):

Aiggan Tamene

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Hand Hygiene ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Southern Ethiopia ◽

Limited Information ◽

Sanitation And Hygiene ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Care Facilities

Background Quality water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities act as barricades to the transmission of COVID-19 in health care facilities. These facilities ought to also be available, accessible, and functional in temporary treatment centers. Despite numerous studies on health care facilities, however, there is limited information on the status of WASH facilities in such centers. Methods The assessment of health care facilities for the COVID-19 response checklist and key informant interviews, were used for data collection. 35 treatment centers in Southern Ethiopia were surveyed. Eightkey informants were interviewed to gain an understanding of the WASH conditions in the treatment centers. The Quantitative data was entered using EPI-INFO 7 and exported to SPSS 20 for analysis. Results are presented using descriptive statistics. Open Code 4.02 was used for the thematic analysis of the qualitative data. Results Daily water supply interruptions occurred at 27 (77.1%) of the surveyed sites. Only 30 (85.72%) had bathrooms that were segregated for personnel and patients, and only 3 (3.57%) had toilets that were handicapped accessible. 20(57.2%) of the treatment centers did not have a hand hygiene protocol that satisfied WHO guidelines. In terms of infection prevention and control, 16 (45.71%) of the facilities lacked adequate personal protective equipment stocks. Between urban and rural areas, there was also a significant difference in latrine maintenance, hand hygiene protocol design and implementation, and incineration capacity. Conclusion The results reveal crucial deficiencies in the provision of WASH in the temporary COVID-19 treatment centers. Efforts to improve WASH should offer priority to hygiene service interventions to minimize the risk of healthcare-acquired infections. The sustainable provision of hygiene services, such as hand washing soap, should also be given priority.

Download Full-text

Improving water, sanitation and hygiene in health-care facilities, Liberia

Bulletin of the World Health Organization ◽

10.2471/blt.16.175802 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 95 (7) ◽

pp. 526-530 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Nana Mensah Abrampah ◽

Maggie Montgomery ◽

April Baller ◽

Francis Ndivo ◽

Alex Gasasira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Sanitation And Hygiene ◽

Care Facilities

Download Full-text

Assessment of Hospital Wastes Management Practices in Lagos, Nigeria, using Two Health Care Centres as Case Studies

Nigerian Journal of Environmental Sciences and Technology - March 2018 ◽

10.36263/nijest.2019.02.0121 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 361-369

Author(s):

R. Alani ◽

D. Nwude ◽

O. Adeniyi

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Waste Management ◽

Case Studies ◽

Management Practices ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Care Facilities ◽

Hospital Wastes ◽

Medical Wastes

Hospital wastes are highly infectious and can pose serious threat to human health. As the rate at which these wastes are generated is getting rapidly higher because of rapid urbanization and population growth, also the problem of disposal of these wastes is becoming more serious. It is of utmost importance that these wastes receive specialized treatment and management prior to their final disposal. Some of these wastes are mixed with household wastes, and the entire pile becomes a great public health hazard. Scavengers search through the piles for salable items, which they wash, repack and resell to the public, endangering their lives, and that of the entire public. Until recently, the management of medical wastes has received little attention despite their potential environmental hazards and public health risks. The collection, storage and disposal of medical wastes in Lagos are of growing environmental problem which needs immediate attention. This study was carried out to assess the current waste management practices in terms of type of wastes and quantities of waste generated in the healthcare facilities and the waste handling and disposal practices; also, to assess the level of awareness of health workers regarding hospital and clinical waste management. Two health care facilities in Lagos state were used as case studies. These hospitals are secondary facilities providing emergency, surgical, material and child health services. The methodology design was mainly of qualitative and involved physical observation, questionnaire administration, quantitative data collection procedures and manipulation, data analysis and interpretation. The findings showed that there was almost no knowledge of hospital waste management policy in the two health care facilities among the management staff, which seemed to confirm the premium on hospital wastes and their poor management.

Download Full-text

The Design of Medical Waste Treatment in Public Health Center (MWT-P) for Reducing Total Bacteria Count in Banjarbaru

JURNAL KESEHATAN LINGKUNGAN ◽

10.20473/jkl.v12i4.2020.254-261 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 254

Author(s):

M. Irfa'i ◽

Arifin Arifin ◽

Ferry Kriswandana ◽

Imam Thohari

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Waste Management ◽

Health Center ◽

Waste Treatment ◽

Medical Waste ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Management Tool ◽

Public Health Center ◽

Care Facilities

Introduction: The increase in medical waste in health service facilities in Indonesia is linearly consistent. The quantity of medical waste that causes a complex problem is a high cost of processing clinical waste. Legislation requires medical or clinical waste to be processed not to cause nosocomial and other environmental pollution. Medical or clinical waste treatment requires excessive technology and very high processing expenses. Processing medical waste requires innovation in processing medical waste to be applied easily in health care facilities (Public Health Center). Method: This research was conducted by simulating variations in the stages of processing medical waste used to be the Experiment Pre and Post Test only without Control Group design. Simulation variations used include contact time Chlorine (5 minutes, 10 minutes) and Chlorine Dose Variation (25 ppm, 50 ppm). This research was conducted in the Public Health Center of the City of Banjarbaru in 2018. Result and Discussion: The content of bacteriological numbers in medical waste before processing is, on average, 1,973 MPN / 100 ml; after being treated with MWT-P, the bacteria is reduced to 4 MPN/100 ml. The content of the liquid waste bacterial number of the final processing decreases to 0 MPN/100 ml. Conclusion: The study results concluded that the use of MWT-P decreases the quantity of medic or clinical waste microorganisms or bacteria. The final waste processing with MWT-P resulted in the number of medical waste bacteria in the treatment reaching zero. MWT-P is a low cost and easy to perform medical or clinical waste management tool. MWT-P is a stage of the B3 waste management framework, especially medical waste, in health care facilities.

Download Full-text