How COVID-19 pandemic affected medical waste management in Türkiye

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in medical waste in hospitals. Aims: To evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting medical waste management in hospitals in Isparta Province, south-western Türkiye. Methods: We examined medical waste production in 3 different types of hospital (1 private, 1 public and 1 university) in Isparta Province, south-western Türkiye. We compared the number of patients, amount of medical waste and occupancy rates of the 3 hospitals during the pre-pandemic (2019–2020) and pandemic (2020–2021) periods. The data were analysed using SPSS, version 22.0, and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: During the pandemic, the number of inpatients in the public and university hospitals decreased, while the number in the private hospital increased. The amount of medical waste during the pre-pandemic period was 8.4 kg per person in the public hospital, 7.7 kg per person in the university hospital and 6.3 kg per person in the private hospital. During the pandemic, these amounts were 14.2 kg, 10.1 kg and 7.6 kg per person, respectively. Conclusion: There was a significant increase in medical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health institutions in Isparta Province, Türkiye, need to review their medical waste management strategies to better manage the increased waste.