Healthcare waste mgmt. training to be held in May

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Health in Cebu will conduct a Training on Healthcare Waste Management for hospitals and treatment centers in the region who weren’t able to participate in the same training held last March of this year.

The training will run from May 5 to 7 at the DOH conference room in Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City. The three-day program will be divided into five modules each dealing with healthcare waste and its impact, solid waste management in healthcare facilities, wastewater management, health and safety, and administrative aspects of healthcare waste management program.

Speakers from the DOH, non-governmental organizations and from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources are also expected.

One of the topics of the program is Health Care Waste minimization, proper segregation, storage, collection and transport. There will also be a field trip scheduled on the third day of the program at the Abatement Pollution System in Inayawan, Cebu City.

According to Evangeline Cañoneo, DOH environmental and occupation health coordinator, each participating hospitals are expected to develop their healthcare waste management plan and plenary as an output of the training. This will also serve as basis by which the DOH can perform a joint monitoring on the hospitals with the DENR.

The first batch who attended the training were required to submit their HCWM plan on or before May 25 this year. Cañoneo negotiating with the second batch for their convenient timeframe to submit their plan.

During the first training, the DOH has invited 20 hospitals within the region but only 15 attended the March 24 to 26 program. Cañoneo hopes that the chairpersons of the Health Care Waste Management Committee, the chief of the hospitals, or their representatives will attend the training this May.

Among the hospitals invited for the second batch within the Cebu province are the Cebu City Medical Center, Camp Lapu-Lapu Hospital, Danao District Hospital, PNP Station Hospital, Badian District Hospital and the Malabuyoc District Hospital. — Quennie Rose P. Olaño, UP Masscom intern/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)