Determined to ensure sustainable safe management of healthcare wastes, the management of Alimosho General Hospital, Lagos, has called on Clinicians in the State to be wary of indiscriminate disposal of medical wastes as the release of toxic elements from such waste could cause pollution and epidemic.
Sulaimon Balogun of the Environmental Department in the Hospital, who made the call while speaking at a forum on Continuous Medical Education for Doctors at the facility, disclosed that the hospital has continued to put measures in place to avert possible health risks associated with healthcare wastes from the source to the final dump site.
Balogun stated that syringes and specimen bottles not properly disposed of could reinfect scavengers at dumpsites, which could lead to spread of infectious diseases in the community.
He listed measures to prevent dangers from medical wastes as provision of adequate fund, recruitment of more staff, enlightenment and development of right attitude to waste disposal, among others.
In his remarks, Director of Clinical Services of the Facility; Dr.Odufunke Odukomaiya-Maijeh maintained that training on proper waste disposal was a welcome development as it would afford participants to broaden their knowledge on various techniques of sanitary applications.
Odukomaiya -Maijeh suggested that more standard operating equipment be provided for clinical hands, in order to ensure effective handling of medical wastes.
