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Knowledge into practice: Managing bio-waste

Table 5. HCWs’ attitude toward BMWM
No. Attitude item n (%) Mean±SD
Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
disagree agree
1 Proper BMWM is an issue. 23 (14.1) 71 (43.6) 14 (8.6) 29 (17.8) 26 (16) 2.78±1.33
2 Safe BMWM requires teamwork. 9 (5.5) 4 (2.5) 4 (2.5) 67 (41.1) 79 (48.5) 4.24±1.02
3 General public health can be negatively 7 (4.3) 21 (12.9) 5 (3.1) 82 (50.3) 48 (29.4) 3.88±1.10
affected by BMW.
4 Needle-stick or sharp injury is a concern. 3 (1.8) 6 (3.7) 11 (6.7) 94 (57.7) 49 (30.1) 4.10±0.82
5 BMW has to be separated at the point of origin. 3 (1.8) 1 (0.6) 5 (3.1) 101 (62.0) 53 (32.5) 4.23±0.70
6 BMWM practices and administration should 3 (1.8) 4 (2.5) 8 (4.9) 88 (54.0) 60 (36.8) 4.2±0.80
be an essential component of the academic
curriculum.
7 Proper BMW disposal can prevent infection 3 (1.8) 1 (0.6) 1 (0.6) 71 (43.6) 87 (53.4) 4.46±0.722
transmission.
8 Reporting of needle-stick injury is an extra 19 (11.7) 42 (25.8) 12 (7.4) 50 (30.7) 40 (24.5) 3.31±1.38
burden.
9 Use of color-coded bags is a must for waste 3 (1.8) 0 (0) 6 (3.7) 91 (55.8) 63 (38.7) 4.29±0.711
segregation.
10 Occupational safety is essential for individuals 3 (1.8) 0 (0) 3 (1.8) 71 (43.6) 86 (52.8) 4.45±0.7132
handling BMW.
Abbreviations: BMW: Biomedical waste; BMWM: Biomedical waste management; HCWs: Healthcare workers; SD: Standard deviation.

Table 6. Attitude of the HCWs on BMWM pressure on waste management systems. In India,
1
Attitude n Percentage and particularly in states, such as Telangana, medical
Negative 2 1.2 establishments generate a substantial volume of BMW,
Neutral 4 2.5 exacerbating the broader challenges of waste disposal
in the region. Across the nation, India generates
Positive 157 96.3 approximately 710 tons of BMW daily, with waste
Abbreviations: BMWM: Biomedical waste management; linked to COVID-19 accounting for 126 tons per day
HCWs: Healthcare workers.
during the initial wave of the pandemic. According
22
to the WHO reports, nearly 10% of hospital waste is
Overall, 71.8 % of HCWs were following excellent
practices of BMWM. Notably, none of the doctors fell classified as infectious, underscoring the widespread
14
under the very poor category, though a small proportion and critical nature of proper waste management.
(2.5%) of nurses and other HCWs were identified as According to the Central Pollution Control Board
having very poor practices (Figure 1). (CPCB) annual report on BMWM for the year 2022,
Telangana state has 9346 healthcare facilities. The total
4
4. Discussion BMW in Telangana has generated 25 tons of BMW per
day, positioning it as the ninth-highest state in terms
The proper disposal of BMW, comprising hazardous of BMW generation. In comparison, Uttar Pradesh is
materials, such as contaminated medical instruments and ranked at the top of the list, generating 89 tons per day,
sharp needles, is very crucial to protect public health and while Arunachal Pradesh generates the least, at 0.5 tons
ensure environmental safety. This study aimed to assess per day. These figures reflect factors, such as population
the KAP related to BMWM among the frontline HCWs, density and the type of healthcare facility. Telangana
including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and currently utilizes 11 CBWTF to manage waste.
pharmacists, working in hospitals across the Nalgonda Captive treatment facilities (CTFs) are established to
and Warangal districts of Telangana. ensure proper treatment and disposal of generated BM.
4
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant The number of CTFs operational in India is presented
increase BMW generated worldwide, placing immense in Figure 2. CTFs are not currently in use in Telangana,

Volume 22 Issue 5 (2025) 209 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025090058