ANALYSIS OF MEDICAL WASTE GENERATION IN HOSPITALS TO OPTIMISE WASTE MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Topicality. The waste generated in medical facilities poses a risk of chemical, toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic and radiation exposure to the human body, as well as the risk of injury and infection. An increase in the volume of medical waste accompanies the growing number of patients in medical institutions. Effective management of this waste is critical to ensuring sanitary and epidemiological well-being.
The goal of the work is to conduct a comprehensive statistical analysis of the correlation between the dynamics of the number of patients, the distribution of beds according to profile (in particular, stroke, surgical, palliative, urological, rehabilitation) and the volume of medical waste generated in 2024–2025 in order to forecast waste volumes and optimise logistics and resource management processes.
Materials and methods. The study used data on the volumes of solid and organic waste during 2024–2025, the number of patients, their gender distribution, and bed profiles. Methods of statistical data analysis, a comparative method of research on medical waste management, and a descriptive method that reveals the main aspects of the research area were used. Regression, correlation, and descriptive analyses were performed using STATISTICA 10.0 software.
Research results. A comprehensive statistical analysis of medical waste generation at the St. Panteleimon Clinical Hospital, a municipal non-profit organisation of the Sumy City Council, was conducted for the period 2024–2025. The number of patients, their gender distribution, the volumes of solid and organ waste generated, as well as the bed occupancy of various profiles were analysed. Corresponding graphs and a heat map of the correlation matrix were constructed, and regression analysis was performed for a number of indicators. Significant correlations were found between the volume of waste and the profiles of the bed fund (in particular, surgical, therapeutic, and cardiological). The article outlines the basic requirements for medical waste management in Ukraine and the experience of selected European countries in accordance with current legislative requirements. Based on the study results, ways to optimise medical waste management at different stages in healthcare facilities are proposed.
Conclusions. Effective medical waste management requires the introduction of innovative technologies, rational treatment methods and the use of statistical models to forecast waste volumes and optimise logistics and resource allocation processes.