Biomedical Waste Management: A Study of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Among Medical, Dental and Nursing Students in a Teaching College

Background: Bio-medical waste is perilous and can be a health hazard. Medical, dental and nursing graduates spend maximum time during their clinical posting with the patients which increases their chance of exposure and risk related to biomedical waste. Therefore, they need to be aware about biomedical waste management. Purpose: To assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) regarding biomedical waste management among medical, dental and nursing students. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out to access the knowledge and awareness about biomedical waste. The structured self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection. Results: Out of the total 300 students enrolled in this study (Group I: Medical, Group 2: Dental, Group 3: Nursing students), 20 medical 13 dental and 23 nursing failed to respond to the questionnaire. MBBS students had more knowledge but better attitude towards BMW management guidelines were seen in nursing students (p<0.001). 86% of the participating candidates had correct knowledge about definition of BMW. Only around 38% of candidates had knowledge of segregation of waste but none had knowledge of correct colour coding. 88% of candidates confirmed that record maintenance was essential but they did lack to answer what kinds of records are important to maintain for biomedical waste management. 94% of the participating candidates said that BMW is teamwork. Conclusion: There is a need for rigorous training programme and monitoring for medical students.