CityLinks Jordan final report

Jordan's hospitals generate an estimated 9.4 tons of waste a day. Improper treatment of medical waste can result in contamination of water and can spread infections and disease to waste handlers and/or the public. In an effort to bring a more effective medical waste management system to northern Jordan a CityLinks Project was initiated. The practical experience of the University of East Carolina with the incineration of medical waste and their strong relationships with regulators made them a good choice as partner organisation.
An analysis of the situation, later serving as the basis for the development of the project objectives, revealed several problems in Jordan's waste management : lack of consistent management policies and practices in hospitals; lack of appropriate equipment and products; lack of awareness of MoH regulations; lack of efficiently operating incinerators at hospitals; lack of proper external storage
The preliminary research undertaken confirmed the opinion that the incinerators of the Jordan University of Science & Technology could be used, if they were upgraded to meet quality standards. With sufficient capacity to meet the needs of all hospitals in northern Jordan, they are the most effective and efficient incinerators in the country for burning medical waste. Located in a rural area away from an urban centre makes it an ideal setting for incinerating waste.
With financial support of the Swiss government to upgrade the incinerators and funding of the MoH to collect and treat medical waste from the 21 hospitals in the region, the project was successful.