ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF BIO-MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Shaik Sakeena, Jyothi Conjeevaram, Kumar Chintha, Sravan Kumar Shaik Ahammad Basha, Pasupuleti Sreenivasa Rao*

ABSTRACT

Health care sectors are service-oriented, providing medical care facilities consists of observational, diagnostic, research, therapeutic and rehabilitative services. In this sector, health care professionals handle the Biomedical Waste (BMW) management. In other words the private and public health sectors are responsible for the generation of BMW. Hence it is need of the hour to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) levels among health care professionals for the effective management of BMW and as well as to control its deleterious effects. Therefore this study is aimed to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on BMW management among healthcare professionals working in a tertiary care hospital.An observational study was conducted among the health care professionals to assess KAP levels for the effective management of BMW at Narayana medical college and hospital using self-administered, pre-designed, pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire whereas data was collected using google forms. The results demonstrate that most 247(100%) of them had good knowledge about BMW, aware of Bio-hazard symbol, its guidelines and transmission of diseases. The parameter Attitude, reveals that majority 212(85.8%) agree for safe disposal of BMW and its management, whereas some (78.1%) feel that it is a team work, while others (76.1%) exerts it is an extra burden to their routine work. The last parameter practice states that most 240 (97.2%) were aware of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) usage while handling BMW and as well as its guidelines framed by ministry of health, to prevent contamination while handling items related to patients, whereas 90.3% aware of color coding containers at BMW disposal, while 86.6% knew about maintenance of biomedical waste records. Thus above study clearly concludes that the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on BMW management among healthcare professionals were high in a tertiary care hospital.

Keywords: Biomedical waste management, health care professionals and KAP.