AWARENESS OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE (BMW) MANAGEMENT AMONG DENTAL AND MEDICAL STUDENTS

Background: Hazardous biomedical waste management should be addressed adequately and appropriately to prevent any harmful effects on the people providing health care services or to the patients receiving treatment. Material and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. The target population was the dental and medical students of Taif University. 145 students agreed to participate in the study voluntarily which included 69 dental and 76 medical students. Chi-square test was performed and the level of significance was set at p <0.05. Results: Around 77 percent of total participants agree that improper waste management will cause various health hazards. 69 percent of dental and 54 percent of medical students were aware that their hospital produces biomedical waste. Regarding the practice of disposing of used disposable plastic items, 11.6 percent of dental and 7 percent of medical students responded correctly. The participants responding falsely were 57 percent and 31.57 percent for dental and medical students respectively (p=0.03). The color of the bag used to dispose of an extracted tooth was corrected responded by 7.24 percent of dental and 11.84 percent of medical students (p=0.06). Conclusion: The study showed average students' awareness and knowledge about BMW management and disposal. The university should activate education programs, courses and workshops to increase awareness among students.