Risk Perception of Healthcare Workers Regarding Polymer Medical Waste Management

Kaur, Jasneet; Upendra, Sheela; Barde, Shital

Risk Perception of Healthcare Workers Regarding Polymer Medical Waste Management

2023

Kaur, Jasneet | Upendra, Sheela | Barde, Shital

Despite the relatively small amounts produced, medical waste is a significant issue for the government and the healthcare industry primarily because it poses threats to persons and the environment. Healthcare wastes pose threats to the environment and public health, but knowledge of these concerns and how they relate to management techniques is still lacking. Evaluating waste management practices and healthcare staff expertise is critical to identify shortcomings and lower risk levels. The study was conducted at three selected private hospitals. These three hospitals contain 462 beds, all together with 184 healthcare workers. The study was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional study, and three private healthcare institutions in the study region were evaluated. These 100 healthcare workers were chosen by purposive sampling. The hospitals under consideration include general surgical, Gynecological, pediatric, and various specialty treatments. Data was gathered for the study utilizing a quantitative questionnaire, which includes closed-ended structured questionnaires. The results showed that most healthcare workers practice waste segregation at source. Chemical cross-linking was very poor. However, waste shredding technology is being used substantially. Risk perception among Healthcare workers regarding polymer help waste management showed more of average to high risk. The study concluded that despite the existence of policies and plans, execution is still subpar at private healthcare institutions. The creation of guidelines for hospital waste management, their distribution to other institutions, and their encouragement to do a critical self-evaluation should all be required by the government.

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