Microbial load of healthcare wastes in Aba Metropolis, Abia State

Introduction: Healthcare waste is the total waste both solid and liquid from healthcare establishment and laboratories. A hospital produces waste by giving their services to the patients. Purpose: This study examined the microbial load of waste from selected healthcare facilities in Aba metropolis, Abia State. Methodology: Tenfold serial dilution was used for processing of all the samples. After the dilutions, exactly 0.5ml of each the sample was planted on the media using the spread plate method and evaluated using the standard microbiological techniques. Results: The viable count (TVC) ranged from 1.0×103cfu/g to 0.3×108cfu/g, coliform count (TCC) ranged from 0.4×102 cfu/g to 4.2×104 cfu/g, staphylococcal count (TSC) ranged from 1.0×101 cfu/g to 1.4×102 and fungal counts ranged from 2.0×102 cfu/g to 0.8×103cfu/g in the microbial count of various waste samples within the Aba metropolis, Abia State. The laboratory waste had the highest microbial counts, followed by the Out-patient department waste and the least was the pharmaceutical waste. The microorganisms isolated from the hospital wastes were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger, A. Fumigatus, Candida albicans and among others. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This research has revealed that healthcare waste contained pathogens with high microbial load densities, suggesting that the hospital wastes may pose a major health and environmental threat, if not properly managed. The study recommends that, the government should ensure that there is a policy on hospital waste management in line with recommended international best practices, which should be monitored and enforced.