Abstract :
Background: Hospital waste has always been a concern for the society. Recently the government has changed the BMW handling rules in 2016. However, mere introduction of laws is not sufficient for proper disposal of BMW. Awareness of these laws is also essential. Hence, this study was conducted with the objectives to assess the Knowledge, awareness, attitude & practice (KAP) towards biomedical waste management in Health care providers (HCP) and prevalence of needle-stick injury (NSI) in them.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study done from August 2018 to January 2019 in KIMS among 400 participants. A pre-tested, close ended questionnaire was used with few added questions related to new rules.
Results: An overall average level of KAP among HCP and grade 4 workers regarding BMW Rules and management 2016 with 86.49% doctors, 91.04% dentists, 79.55% nurses and 80% grade 4 workers securing average marks in the assessment. Moreover, 14 (20 .59%) doctors, 10 (14 .71%) dentists, 30 (44 .12%) nurses and 14 (20.59%) grade 4 workers reported that they had experienced NSI in the past 12 months. Overall prevalence of NSI is found to be 17%.
Conclusion: We found an average level of knowledge, attitude and practice among HCP and grade 4 workers regarding BMW management. It is recommended that regular monitoring and training are required at all levels of Health Care System and the rules should be sincerely followed and practiced.
Keyword :
Needle stick injury, Health care providers, Occupational hazard, Biomedical waste, Vaccination.