Awareness about Biomedical Waste Management in Undergraduate Medical and Nursing Students at a Teaching Institute in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh

Background: Bio-medical waste collection and proper disposal is a concern for both medical and general community. Medical and Nursing students during and after completing their studies are at potential risk for hazards due to biomedical waste. Thorough knowledge about the subject will decide their practices. Hence the study was limited only to awareness assessment. Objective: To assess awareness in undergraduate medical and nursing students about biomedical waste, its hazards and management. Methods: Data collection was done by a predesigned self administered questionnaire. Results: MBBS students had a fairly better awareness regarding the subject than nursing students. Almost all study participants were aware about colour coding in segregation of biomedical waste. But when asked about which waste is to be put in which bag, correct response was given by almost half amongst them. Conclusions: Practical implications related to the matter should be covered so that hazards of biomedical waste are avoided.