Waste from Health Services: Situation and Actions in a Public Hospital from Manaus (Amazonas, Brazil)

Abstract

The amount of solid waste is a serious environmental problem. We highlight among these wastes those that can be highly contaminating, such as health services wastes, called "hospital waste". There are several reports of victims of occupational accidents, especially with puncture wounds, and contamination by pathogenic agents such as HIV-1 may even occur. Thus, it is necessary to sensitize users and professionals to the risk of contamination by serious pathologies, including those that have no cure. Thus, the main objective of this study was to analyze the situation of health service waste disposal in a public hospital in the city of Manaus (AM), and, based on the results, to propose improvements in the process. After the detection of many inconsistencies and the need for better knowledge on the part of its employees, it was proposed to write and distribute a booklet as a precursor, didactic, illustrative tool for employees and users of this hospital. The material was distributed and accompanied by informative lectures on the risks and rules regarding the correct handling and disposal of hospital waste. Considering the good reception and participation of the employees, we concluded that education and clarification are important tools for the implementation of improvements in the handling of the issue of waste generated at the unit, prevention of drilling accidents aiming at improvements in the management and responsible disposal of health service waste, and thus contribute to the Environment and Public Health.