CHAMPIONING ENHANCED WASTE MANAGEMENT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
By Ulemu Mbengwani
The provision of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities (HCFs) still lags behind and requires significant investments if the quality of care for citizens is to be improved. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (2020), 87% of HCFs lack basic sanitation, and 73% cannot provide basic hygiene services. Nthondo Health Care Facility, located in Ntchisi district, is one of the facilities that had been grappling with a lack of WASH facilities, including toilets, bathrooms, and various other essential amenities.
The tide drastically changed when WaterAid supported the facility with comprehensive waste management infrastructure, including an incinerator, ash pit, toilets, refuse pit, and placenta pit, all specifically designed to manage the various types of waste generated at the facility. The facility also received an autoclave machine used for the sterilization of medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), and color-coded bins at points of care to facilitate waste segregation at the source, simplifying the process at later stages.
Nthondo Health Centre’s Ground Labourer, Joseph Ifitoni, vividly recalls how they used to struggle prior to this intervention. “Before this intervention, we faced several challenges, including the scarcity of toilets, insufficient water points, and the absence of waste bins. We had to collaborate with village chiefs who mobilized funds in their respective communities. These funds were then used for constructing toilets, but the resources were limited, making it challenging to build an adequate number of facilities”.
“The provision of personal protective equipment has also been immensely helpful in alleviating concerns about contracting infections while performing my duties. Now, I undertake this work with immense pleasure, ensuring that the hospital premises are consistently clean, creating a healthy environment for individuals seeking medical assistance. I believe this effort contributes to their healing process and enhances the efficiency of medications” added Ifitoni.
Laston Zungu, Program Officer at WaterAid, expressed his satisfaction having successfully improved the WASH status of the health facility. “When we had just arrived here, waste disposal was a huge challenge. The old incinerator was found to be small, dilapidated, and inefficient. To address this, we constructed a new, larger, and highly efficient incinerator. This improvement allows for the proper incineration of daily generated waste, with the resulting ash disposed off in the newly constructed ash pit.”
“As WaterAid, in our efforts to promote good sanitation and hygiene in Healthcare Facilities (HCFs), we have supported HCFs in the district by supplying necessary infrastructure and essential equipment. We remain committed to waste management in HCFs and aim to set a positive example as a model for others to emulate” said Zungu.
Felia Mteya, a Nurse Midwife Technician at Nthondo Health Centre, also expressed her gratitude towards WaterAid for the support. She is particularly thankful for the incinerator dedicated to menstrual hygiene management. According to Mteya, a significant majority of the hospital's visitors are women. Consequently, the incinerator, specifically allocated for Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), plays a crucial role in assisting women and girls in changing and disposing of pads hygienically. This facilitates their ability to take care of themselves during menstruation.
“The introduction of this facility has played a crucial role in encouraging women to seek medical attention, as they are confident that they can comfortably manage their hygiene, and all waste will be appropriately disposed. In the past, women were disposing pads in toilets, resulting in them filling up quickly. The presence of this facility ensures proper disposal by incineration, maintaining a hygienic environment at the hospital at all times” added Mteya.
In a concerted effort to uplift healthcare standards, Nthondo stands as one of two facilities in Ntchisi that have been empowered with state-of-the-art WASH facilities, generously funded by Giorgio Armani. The collaborative support extends to M’mdinda Health Centre, fortifying both facilities in their commitment to delivering medical care within a pristine, hygienic, and infection-free environment. Through this transformative initiative, the local communities are now accessing healthcare services in facilities equipped to provide the highest standards of cleanliness and safety, thereby fostering the well-being of all those seeking medical assistance.
