Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected all the fields with a pronounced effect on the medical field affecting all the departments. It has greatly changed biomedical waste disposal and generation. The ongoing condition warrants studies assessing the preparations at the various levels of the healthcare system during COVID-19. Aim: The present study aimed to assess the practices of biomedical waste disposal among healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study included the allied healthcare staff, nurses, and doctors’ various departments of the Institute that were assessed concerning their practices for biomedical waste disposal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Among 859 nurses, 75.20% (n=646) subjects followed the appropriate methods for disposal of biomedical waste which was a significant proportion with p=0.02. A similar significant adequate practice of biomedical waste was seen in doctors where 68.40% (n=197) subjects among 288 were practicing the adequate biomedical waste disposal criteria. For the various divisions, Injection OPD and IPD personnel were doing adequate practice concerning biomedical waste disposal with p<0.001. However, non-significant results were seen for ICU and OT with p=0.1 Conclusion: The present study showed that nearly 3/4th of the study subjects assessed in the present study followed the proper protocols for the disposal of biomedical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 100% compliance should be made by the healthcare workers with the periodic monitoring of biomedical waste disposal and appropriate resource allocation

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