Perceptions of medical and para-medical personnel on biomedical waste management

Abstract

Medical waste management is a global public health concern. Our study consisted of determining the perceptions of medical and paramedical stakeholders on the management of biomedical waste. To collect the data we needed for this study, we used the survey method, as an instrument we used a questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics, biomedical waste management and the harmful effects linked to poor management of hospital/biomedical waste are the parameters observed during the study. The results observed are; for socio-demographic characteristics, 54% of respondents are male, 68% of respondents are in the 20 to 49 age group, 48% of our respondents have a university education level; for the biomedical waste management parameter: 79% say that there is a waste management policy within their health facility, 74% of respondents affirm that there is poor management of the waste policy and 56% waste is produced by medical services and finally for the parameter harmful effects linked to poor management of hospital/biomedical waste, the following results were observed: 60% of our respondents affirm that the budget deficit is the cause of poor management of waste, the respondents for the most part indexed the traumatic and infectious risks 40% as well as the chemical risks 22% are at the base risks linked to the poor transport of biomedical waste and 56% of our respondents affirm that the proliferation of mosquitoes and other critters harmful and the proliferation of ecological nuisances are the consequences of poor management of hospital/biomedical waste.