Study to Assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Biomedical Waste Management among Healthcare Personnel at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Haryana

Background: Biomedical Waste (BMW) collection and proper disposal has become a significant concern for both the medical and general community. It is estimated that 10-25% of healthcare waste is hazardous, with the potential  to create a variety of health problems. Handling, segregation, mutilation, disinfection, storage, transportation and final disposal are vital steps for safe and scientific management of biomedical waste in any establishment. Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice among healthcare personnel working in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted in the months of February and March 2015. Study participants included resident doctors, interns, nursing staff, laboratory technicians, ward boys and sweepers working in the institute who deal with biomedical waste  and were selected randomly to make the sample size of 200 with equal representation in each category. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used. Results: The study showed gaps in the knowledge of all categories of respondents. The knowledge of the existence of biomedical waste management was better among doctors (96%) as compared to nurses (88%), paramedical staff (70.9%) or the cleaning staff (16.9%). The knowledge of practical aspects of BMW management was better in nurses, paramedical staff and cleaning staff. Conclusion: The present study highlighted the lack of knowledge at every level. Waste management is everybody’s concern. The need of a comprehensive training for all the categories of hospital staff is highly recommended.