Perceptions of healthcare employees regarding medical waste management in selected healthcare centers in Al-Karkh, Baghdad, Iraq, 2025
Medical waste management is a systematic process that includes the generation, handling, segregation, storage, treatment, transport, and disposal of healthcare-generated waste to safeguard public health and the environment. Essential procedures involve categorizing waste as sharps, infectious, or general, utilizing color-coded containers, and applying treatment methods such as incineration. This study aims to evaluate the perceptions of healthcare employees regarding medical waste management in selected healthcare centers in Al-Karkh, Baghdad, Iraq, in 2025. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire to collect data from a randomly selected sample of 360 employees in healthcare centers. Three centers were randomly chosen from each of the 12 health districts in Al-Karkh, Baghdad, resulting in a total of 36 healthcare centers. Data collection occurred from April to June 2025. Analysis was performed using SPSS Version 26, employing a three-point Likert scale, mean, standard deviation, and T-test. The questionnaire included items on demographic characteristics and key functions of medical waste management. A total of 360 respondents participated in the study. The majority were aged 31-40 years (34%), and 39% were paramedical staff. Additionally, 28% had 11-15 years of work experience. There was an observed increase in medical waste production in health centers during the second quarter of 2025. Approximately 70% of respondents were medical or paramedical staff, and nearly 50% had extensive experience in the health sector. The overall perception of respondents, measured by weighted mean, was 2.14, with 70% answering ‘no’ or ‘not sure’ to most questions. Perception was highest for the function of waste segregation, with a weighted mean of 2.42 and 81% answering ‘yes.’ For collection and transportation, storage, disposal, and requirements, the weighted means and percentage of ‘no’ or ‘not sure’ responses were 1.99 with 67%, 2.08 with 62%, and 2.11, respectively..
Conclusion
The findings support the need for continuous training programs, monitoring systems, improved waste labelling, and the integration of digital tracking tools. These interventions can reduce environmental burdens, enhance healthcare sustainability, and support the development of more resilient waste management systems in medical institutions.
Keywords: medical waste management, segregation , healthcare centers , employee , municipality scavengers
