title: Healthcare liquid waste management.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The management of healthcare liquid waste is an overlooked problem in Nepal with stern repercussions in terms of damaging the environment and affecting the health of people. This study was carried out to explore the healthcare liquid waste management practices in Kathmandu based central hospitals of Nepal.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive prospective study was conducted in 10 central hospitals of Kathmandu during the period of May to December 2008. Primary data were collected through interview, observation and microbiology laboratory works and secondary data were collected by records review. For microbiological laboratory works,waste water specimens cultured for the enumeration of total viable counts using standard protocols.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evidence of waste management guidelines and committees for the management of healthcare liquid wastes could not be found in any of the studied hospitals. Similarly, total viable counts heavily exceeded the standard heterotrophic plate count (p=0.000) with no significant difference in such counts in hospitals with and without treatment plants (p=0.232).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare liquid waste management practice was not found to be satisfactory. Installation of effluent treatment plants and the development of standards for environmental indicators with effective monitoring, evaluation and strict control via relevant legal frameworks were realized.
authors: Department of Public Health, Yeti Health Science Academy, Kathmandu, Nepal. dsharmadr@hotmail.com
authors: D R
authors: DR
authors: Sharma
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Pradhan
authors: R P
authors: RP
authors: Pathak
authors: S C
authors: SC
authors: Shrestha
mesh_terms: D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009390:Nepal; D016134:Organizational Policy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011634:Public Health; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D017744:Medical Waste Disposal