Hygiene
Awareness and Training in Biomedical Waste Management Among Medical Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic in India: A Cross-Sectional Study
By Padmakumar Krishnankutty Nair, Russell Franco D’Souza, Ivone Duarte and 1 others.
Abstract
Background
Safe biomedical waste (BMW) management is essential for infection prevention, particularly during infectious disease outbreaks. This study assessed self-reported awareness, reported institutional BMW-management systems, and training among medical practitioners involved in COVID-19 care in India.
Methods
A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among 558 registered allopathic medical practitioners recruited through purposive, non-probability sampling between February and August 2022. Responses described participants’ status at the time of the survey. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-square or generalized Fisher exact tests, and Cramér’s V with 95% confidence intervals.