Abstract:
Improper management of biomedical waste possesses serious occupational health consequences
and negative environmental impacts. The present study aimed to conduct a preliminary survey
on current biomedical waste management practices and the awareness of staff on biomedical
waste management in hospitals of Kandy district in the central province of Sri Lanka. Eight
hospitals including teaching, general, divisional, district base and combinations of teaching and
general hospitals were randomly selected for the study. Semi-structured interviews were carried
out with hospital staff to collect data on the awareness and perception of sources, handling and
disposal of biomedical waste. Descriptive statistics were applied for the analysis of data. The
major sources of biomedical waste were composed of waste from blood bank, outpatient
departments, general laboratories, mortuary, chemotherapy ward, surgery ward, delivery ward
and pharmacy. Radioactive, chemical, infectious, pathological and pharmaceutical waste were
contained in clinical waste. Results revealed that 87.5% of interviewed hospitals maintain a
department for the biomedical waste management while 62.5% of interviewed hospitals maintain
separate storage facilities. Waste segregation was practiced in every interviewed hospital in
accordance with Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists (SLCM) national guidelines. Minor staff
handles the infectious and general waste and use protective clothing during waste handling. In
contrast, other hospitals used large bins with color codes to store waste before disposal. Open
burning was practiced by 62.5% of hospitals for disposal of polythene, sharps, cotton, plastic,
infectious waste as well. 37.8% of institutes practice incineration and 25% bury needles and
pathological waste near the hospital premises. 12.5% of hospitals dispose their placental waste in
a pit. Considering awareness on biomedical waste management, almost all interviewed staff were
aware of the consequences of improper management of biomedical waste. 62.5% of them
suggested incineration as the best method of disposing clinical waste. Nevertheless, lack of bins,
lack of awareness of patients and visitors on consequences of clinical waste, insufficient height
of stack of the incinerator, lack of incineration facilities, practical difficulties in waste
segregation and lack of facilities for the management of e-waste and radioactive waste were the
major constrains related to biomedical waste management in these hospitals. The present study
suggests further improvement in the existing system through capacity mobilization of biomedical
waste management and implementation of proper disposal methods for radioactive waste
management.
