Status of medical solid waste management at Phu Yen General Hospital in 2025 and several influencing factors

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the status of medical solid waste (MSW) management at Phu Yen General Hospital in 2025 and to identify key influencing factors to propose solutions for MSW management improvement.

Methods: A mixed-method study incorporating quantitative and qualitative components was conducted from December 2024 to October 2025. MSW management practices were directly observed across clinical departments, wards, and storage areas. In addition, nine in-depth interviews (IDIs) and two focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with healthcare workers and environmental management staff.

Results: MSW management at the hospital demonstrated high overall performance, with compliance rates ranging from 91.2% to 100%. Compliance rates were over 96.2% for collection, 90.4% for transportation, 94.4% for storage, and 91.2% for handover. Key influencing factors included the availability of comprehensive regulations and guidelines, reliance on manual supervision, uneven and limited training modalities, insufficient human resources and weak interdepartmental coordination, constrained funding, aging equipment, and suboptimal recycling practices which limited opportunities for cost reduction.

Conclusion: MSW management at the hospital complies with current regulations and demonstrates high effectiveness; however, gaps in infrastructure, supervision, staff capacity, and financial resources remain, particularly affecting hazardous waste segregation, transportation, and recycling. Strengthening human resources, applying information technology to monitoring and reporting, and enhancing regular inspections and targeted training are needed to improve efficiency, safety, and compliance.