A Comparative Study on Perception about Biomedical Waste Management among the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in South Delhi

Abstract

Background: Biomedical waste poses a great risk of infection and damage. Improper waste management could have major public health repercussions. Medical students are exposed to various biomedical wastes during their training in the hospital. Their lack of awareness about biomedical waste management is hazardous to their health and the health of others. The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate and postgraduate students’ understanding of biomedical waste management in a study setting. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 undergraduate and postgraduate students at a tertiary care hospital in South Delhi in 2019. Data were collected using a self-structured and administered questionnaire after taking informed consent. Data were analysed using SPSS 20.0 software. Results: 86% of participants were aware of the BMW legislation. 79% always practised BMWM guidelines and 65% had correctly identified biohazard symbols. Postgraduate students had better knowledge about colour coding and disposal methods of biomedical waste than undergraduate students including interns. Conclusions: Undergraduate and postgraduate students were aware of biomedical waste but finer details for its management were far from perfection. Sensitisation about BMW hazards, regular training, continuous monitoring, and feedback are recommended to improve their biomedical waste management practices.