| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2023 | Volume
: 11
| Issue : 3 | Page : 190-195 |
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Assessment of infrastructure and status of biomedical waste management in primary health-care facilities in a district of West Bengal, India: A mixed method study
Supriya Dey1, Ritu Ghosh2, Sayantan Mondal3, Sarmila Mallik4
1 Family Medicine Practitioner, Nadia, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, Murshidabad Medical College, West Bengal, India
3 Department of Pediatrics, R G Kar Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
4 Principal, Tamralipto Government Medical College and Hospital, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India
Correspondence Address:
Sarmila Mallik
C/5, Ideal Association, VIP Road, Kolkata - 700 054, West Bengal
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/mjhs.mjhs_63_22
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Background: The absence of proper waste management, lack of awareness about the health hazards from biomedical wastes, insufficient financial and human resources, and poor control of waste disposal are the most critical problems connected with biomedical waste management (BMWM).
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the infrastructure available for BMWM in primary health-care facilities in Murshidabad district of West Bengal and to find out the gaps in the management.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive, observational, facility-based mixed method study with cross-sectional design was conducted in primary health-care facilities selected by multistage random sampling technique. In-depth interview was done with important stakeholders related to BMWM at block, subdivision, and district level.
Results: The gaps were identified related to infrastructure, logistic supply, and workforce resources in the studied primary health-care facilities. Segregation at source and disposal of biomedical waste were improper. Training on BMWM and posttraining evaluation were also seen deficient. Information, education, and communication materials and proper record keeping were seen to be absent with lack of supervision.
Conclusion: Logistics supply with emphasis on the supply chain with proper allocation of the fund at the primary health-care level should be ensured. Filling up of the vacancies of the Group D staff is essential. Training of health workers with supervision and monitoring by block and district officials needs to be strengthened for efficient BMWM.
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