Awareness, Knowledge and Practices on Bio-Medical Waste Management Among Health Care Professionals in Mangalore- A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Bio-medical wastes are of great importance due to its potential environmental hazards and health problems. The waste produced in the course of health care activities carries a higher potential for infection and injury than any other type of waste. It is estimated that annually 0.33 million tons of hospital waste is generated in India. The objective of this study is to analyze the medical waste management practices in different health care settings, analyze the risk perceptions of health care personnel and assess the attitude towards the waste management policies. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study is conducted using a pre-tested questionnaire to assess the awareness, knowledge and practices on medical waste management among health care personnel in different health care settings in Mangalore city. Results: Doctors, nurses, and laboratory technicians have better knowledge than sanitary staff regarding biomedical waste management. Knowledge regarding the color coding and waste segregation was found to be better among nurses and laboratory staff as compared to doctors. Conclusion: The management of hospital waste requires its segregation and removal from the health care establishments in such a way that it will not be a source of health hazards to those who are directly or indirectly related to the hospital environment. The segregation of waste in almost all hospitals is not satisfactory. Proper and judicious handling of Bio-medical waste continues to be a matter of serious concern for health authorities in India.