Implementing the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and related guiding documents, preventing cross-infection in medical examination and treatment, recently, the Department of Health of Bac Ninh province has issued many documents to propagate and guide the implementation of regulations on medical waste management in the province, ensuring 3 groups: Infectious waste, non-infectious hazardous waste, and general medical waste. Currently, medical facilities have arranged separate waste storage points after classification and signed collection and treatment contracts with competent units.
According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Toan, Head of the Medical Affairs Department ( Bac Ninh Province Department of Health), all medical facilities assign leaders in charge of medical waste management; assign specific tasks to departments, offices, and divisions to properly classify, collect, transport, and store waste within the facility premises. In addition, the Department also assigns medical centers of districts, towns, and cities to manage and treat hazardous waste for affiliated medical stations. For medical facilities that are general and specialized clinics, with small amounts of waste generated, contracts are signed with units that have the function of collecting and treating.
Sanitation staff of Bac Ninh General Hospital bring classified waste from departments and wards to the warehouse.
At some medical facilities such as Bac Ninh Provincial General Hospital, Oncology Hospital, Viet Yen Town Medical Center, Hanoi- Bac Giang Hospital... the collection, classification and treatment of daily generated solid waste are focused on. Typically, at the Provincial General Hospital, every day there are about 5,000 people staying, examining, treating, caring for and visiting patients. This facility generates 3-5 tons of solid waste per day; of which there are about more than 200 kg of hazardous waste (including infectious and non-infectious) and about 200 kg of recyclable waste.
According to Mr. Hoang Chi Thanh, Deputy Director of Bac Ninh General Hospital, the hospital always pays attention to collecting, classifying, storing, and treating medical waste according to the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection and the direction of the Ministry of Health and the province. Regularly disseminate regulations on environmental protection and medical waste management to medical staff, patients, patients' relatives, and sanitation workers. Arrange staff to manage, monitor, and update records, documents, and contracts for storing and treating waste.
From the hospital campus to the departments and rooms, there are trash bins with lids and instructions on waste classification. The hospital also arranges separate warehouses for hazardous waste, household waste and recyclable waste... Accordingly, the collection and classification of medical waste is implemented by staff, employees and patients. Observing the injection vehicles in the Obstetrics Department area, we see that each vehicle is equipped with 4 bags for classified waste (in addition to bags for infectious waste, non-infectious hazardous waste, and general medical waste, there are also bags for waste that are sharp objects).
Strengthening medical wastewater management
In addition to the collection, classification and treatment of solid waste, wastewater treatment at medical facilities is also of concern. Currently, all hospitals, medical centers, and private hospitals under the provincial authority that issue environmental licenses have wastewater treatment systems. Recent monitoring shows that wastewater from medical facilities after being treated and discharged into the environment all meet the prescribed standards and are granted environmental licenses (except for some units that are upgrading the scale of hospital beds or repairing items).
However, the waste treatment system at many facilities (especially public health facilities) is difficult to meet long-term requirements due to the long time since construction and operation (many facilities have been in operation for more than ten years), so many parts are degraded and damaged. For example, the wastewater treatment plant of Bac Ninh General Hospital, built in 2017, has some equipment such as air blowers, fans, etc. that are broken. In 2024, the Hospital must invest nearly 500 million VND to maintain and repair this system to ensure treatment requirements.
It can be said that the collection, classification and treatment of medical waste has received attention in recent times, and the environmental landscape of many medical facilities has improved significantly. However, with the increasing demand for medical examination and treatment and the use of medical services by the people, the amount of medical waste is increasingly large, requiring the health sector to pay attention to allocating appropriate funding for new investments or upgrading wastewater treatment stations with outdated and backward technology. At the same time, strengthen inter-sectoral coordination to inspect, monitor and strictly handle environmental violations; advise the province to have stricter regulations on the collection and treatment of medical waste.
Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/phan-loai-rac-thai-y-te-tai-nguon-de-giam-thieu-o-nhiem-169251124202848844.htm
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