Medical Waste Generated by Health Institutions in The City of Tobruk and Its Effects on The Environment

Abstract

This study was conducted in Tobruk and included the city's medical center, ten private laboratories, eight private clinics, and seven government clinics. Ten questionnaires were distributed to each entity. The results showed that all staff were trained in the proper handling of medical waste. However, all laboratories and clinics, except for the medical center, did not use secure containers for medical waste disposal. Furthermore, all entities lacked measures for disposing of both ordinary and highly infectious medical waste, and none of the studied entities were aware of local and national regulations concerning medical waste disposal.

Additionally, medical waste was not sorted before disposal, and there were no designated collection points for this waste, except for the medical center. The medical center was thus considered more organized than the other studied entities in its handling of waste, as it had an incinerator for safe disposal. However, it still needs policies to improve the implementation of health and environmental practices for medical waste disposal.