Need for the study
Biomedical waste word is applied to waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in the production or testing of biologicals1. Biomedical waste has been categorized as general waste, pathological waste, radioactive waste, chemical waste, infectious waste, sharps and pharmaceutical waste16.
In country like India, where there is big and complex health care system, varied economy, private and Government hospitals working together, while providing services generate waste.42 It is estimated that the amount of waste generated from hospitals in our country ranges between 0.5 and 2.0 kg/bed/day and annually about 0.33 million tones of waste are generated in India17. WHO fact sheet reported that from total of waste generated by health care activities 20%…show more content… Thus all the hospital care personnel are at a threat of getting many fatal infections like HIV, HBV, HCV and injuries by these infectious resources. The health care personnel are not aware of the practice of biomedical waste management which includes collection, segregation, transportation and disposal of waste.45 They are not conscious of the colour coding used in the biomedical waste management also. Many of the health care personnel are not aware of the legal issues for the reason that they are not aware of the Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) law 1998 22.
A cross sectional study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of personnel involved in waste disposal of health care facilities. Infectious and non-infectious waste were collected together and disposed off into the sewerage system without any treatment. The study showed that the knowledge, attitude and practice of personnel implicated in health care facilities waste management are tremendously poor and proper facilities for management of hospital waste are almost absent