摘要：Summary. The aim of this study was to evaluate health-care waste in the 18 districts of metropolitan
municipality of the third biggest city in Turkey. This cross-sectional study was carried out with 825
health institutions established in the 18 districts of Izmir metropolitan municipality, in 2007. The
total amount of health-care waste collected was 4841 tons and 621 kilograms per patient’s bed in
2007. Most of the medical wastes were collected from Konak, Karsiyaka and Bornova districts and
were 2308, 272 and 1020 tons, respectively. Regarding to overpopulation, the number of health institutions
in these districts are more than the number of health institutions in the other administrative
districts. There was a statistically significant, positive correlation between the amount of health-care
waste collected and population of the 18 districts (r = 0.79, p < 0.001), and number of beds/patients
(r = 0.83, p < 0.001). To provide a safe health-care waste management metropolitan municipality
must provide hazardous waste separation in health institutions, establish sterilization units for infectious
waste, and provide the last storage of medical waste in completely different, safe and special
areas apart from the municipal waste storage areas
