Awareness of Healthcare Workers Regarding Biomedical Waste Management (BMW) at Tertiary Care Government Hospital in Punjab

Introduction

Hospitals produce substantial amounts of biomedical waste during standard operations, and improper management of this waste can lead to significant public health hazards. Suboptimal management practices can promote the transmission of infectious diseases, including HIV and hepatitis, while insufficient handling may result in hospital-acquired infections affecting both patients and healthcare personnel. Additionally, increased public awareness of infectious diseases has intensified concerns regarding the safe disposal of biomedical waste. Effective waste management protocols in hospitals can reduce disease transmission risk within the community and lower medical costs related to hospital-acquired infections. Therefore, educating the community, staff, and patients on appropriate biomedical waste management practices is crucial for ensuring a safer healthcare environment.

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate healthcare personnel's awareness, attitudes, and practices of biomedical waste management at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College & Hospital, a tertiary care government facility in Faridkot, Punjab.

Methods

Guru Gobind Singh Medical College & Hospital is a 1200+ bedded tertiary care teaching hospital in the Faridkot district of Punjab, India. A cross-sectional study was performed using healthcare personnel, comprising physicians, nurses, and housekeeping staff. A systematic questionnaire was employed to assess their awareness of biomedical waste segregation, disposal techniques, utilization of color-coded bins, and adherence to the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016. The data were examined employing descriptive statistics.

Results

It was found that among 110 participating health workers, only 96.6% have heard about BMW, and 75.4% have undergone any training regarding BMW management. About 93.63% of hospital health workers know the different colored bins required for collecting different types of waste. Also, only 55.4% and 58.1% of health workers received vaccines against hepatitis B and tetanus, respectively.

Conclusion

All healthcare providers must receive regular training in biomedical waste management for the appropriate handling and disposal of biomedical waste. There is also an urgency to provide vaccination among healthcare workers to protect them against the possible disease transmission due to BMW handling.