Improper waste handling fuels infections, Don warns health workers
By Ahmed Ahmed
A lecturer with the College of Medical Sciences, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, Dr. Sadiq Abubakar, has stressed that effective segregation of hospital waste is critical to infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare facilities.
Dr. Abubakar made this known on Wednesday at the end of a three-day capacity-building training for health workers on Infection Prevention and Control, organised by the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Programme at the College of Medical Sciences, ATBU, Bauchi.
He explained that waste segregation involves the separation and sorting of different categories of hospital waste at the point of generation to ensure that hazardous materials receive appropriate handling and disposal.
According to him, proper segregation significantly reduces the risk of infection, protects healthcare workers and patients, and lowers the overall cost and danger associated with waste management.
Dr. Abubakar noted that successful healthcare waste management depends largely on correct segregation, adding that this responsibility lies primarily with healthcare providers as waste generators.
He warned that failure to segregate waste appropriately exposes hospitals to environmental contamination and increases the spread of healthcare-associated infections.
The ATBU lecturer outlined key stages of hospital waste management, including surveying the types of waste generated, segregation, collection and categorisation, storage, transportation, treatment, and final disposal.
He emphasised that each stage must be carefully implemented to ensure safety and compliance with best practices.Dr. Abubakar on waste transportation, he explained that vehicles and equipment used must minimise spillage, disturbance, and human contact.
He said that within hospital premises, push carts, waste trolleys, and wheelbarrows are commonly used, while cycle rickshaws or waste vans and lorries are utilised to transport biomedical waste to final disposal sites outside hospital grounds.
Participants at the training were healthcare workers drawn from the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and the Emergency Paediatric Unit/Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU) of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), as well as the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi.
Dr Jamilu Yahaya, lead community engagement CHAMPS said the training aimed to strengthen participants’ knowledge and practical skills in infection prevention and safe waste management, particularly in sensitive paediatric and maternal care settings.
