Ho Chi Minh City: Spreading awareness of medical waste classification, joining hands for a green environment

On the morning of October 28, Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) organized the Final Round and Award Ceremony of the Contest "Joining hands to classify waste - For a green environment".

Not only is it a professional playground for medical staff, the contest is also a lively communication campaign, contributing to spreading the message of environmental protection and promoting the proper classification of medical waste. This is a small action but brings great value to public health.

Ho Chi Minh City spreads awareness of medical waste classification - Joining hands for a green environment.

Launched on August 25, 2025, the competition quickly received the response of 33 medical units in the city. After the theoretical round on October 9, the Organizing Committee selected the 7 best teams to enter the final round with the theme "Practical action".

The atmosphere at the HCDC hall (366A Au Duong Lan, Chanh Hung ward, Ho Chi Minh City) became exciting when the teams entered the two main competitions: "Effective solutions" and "Treatment and classification of medical waste".

The exciting atmosphere of the fans of the teams at the contest "Join hands to classify waste - For a green environment".

In the first part, the teams drew lots and answered real-life situations about waste management at medical facilities. In the second part, the teams transformed into “amateur actors” with short, humorous skits, reenacting the process of waste treatment and classification at their units. The simple but meaningful stories brought laughter and applause to the auditorium many times.

The interesting highlight of this year’s competition is the creativity in communication. The teams not only demonstrated solid professional knowledge but also skillfully combined dramatization, creating a natural spread.

The first professional competition was very exciting, the teams were evenly matched.

MSc. Dr. Dinh Thi Yen, representative of the jury, commented: “Today, the jury had to use a "magnifying glass" to find technical errors but... could not find any. The knowledge of the judges is very solid. In particular, the skit was well-staged, the message was clear and highly creative.”

MSc. Dr. Yen said she was most impressed with the sketch “Talking Trash Can”, a work by the Hung Vuong Hospital team. “I even joked that in the future, every facility should have an ‘AI trash can’; if the wrong type of trash is thrown away, the trash can will spit it out immediately,” MSc. Dr. Yen shared.

The teams were also praised for their careful investment in props, bringing wheelchairs and medical equipment onto the stage to illustrate realistically. The judges encouraged the units to take advantage of these skits as internal communication materials, helping medical staff and patients raise awareness of proper waste classification.

In the second round, the teams transformed into "amateur actors" with humorous skits, vividly reenacting the process of waste treatment and classification at the unit.

At the hall, the contestants all shared the same spirit of giving their all and spreading their best. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Oanh, Hung Vuong Hospital shared: “Our team is called Hung Vuong Xanh with the performance Talking Trash Can. I want to send a message to everyone, from the elderly to children, that they should classify trash properly, not only in the hospital but everywhere, for a green environment.”

Also from Hung Vuong Hospital, Ms. Huynh Thi Thuy Huong expressed her desire to win the highest prize, but more importantly, to spread a humane message: “When everyone sorts waste at the source, the hospital will be safer and more humane. It is not just a regulation but an act of spreading medical ethics.”

"Talking Trash Can" skit of Hung Vuong Hospital.

Ms. Le Thi Kim Anh, Thu Duc Regional General Hospital could not hide her excitement before the competition: “At first, we were very worried, but when we entered the hall, we had only one spirit - determined to win! Our performance, House of Garbage, carried the slogan: Correct classification, clean hospital and green environment”.

Ms. Kim Anh affirmed: “Classifying waste properly not only protects yourself but also protects the people around you. It is a small action, but if everyone does it, the hospital environment will change greatly.”

Skit "House of Garbage" by Thu Duc Regional General Hospital.

After many dramatic and exciting competitions, the Organizing Committee announced the final results: First Prize: Hung Vuong Hospital; Second Prize: Thu Duc Regional General Hospital; Third Prize: Nha Be General Hospital and Hoa Hung Regional Medical Center; Encouragement Prize: Oncology Hospital, Cu Chi Regional General Hospital and Le Van Thinh Hospital.

The awards not only recognize efforts, but also motivate units to continue maintaining green communication models at medical facilities, helping waste classification and treatment become a natural habit in daily work.

The contest “Join hands to classify waste - For a green environment” ended in laughter, but the echoes still spread strongly. For HCDC, this is not only a contest but also a training activity, raising awareness of medical waste management, one of the key tasks of the Ho Chi Minh City health sector in the process of building a green, clean and livable city.

Hung Vuong Hospital team was delighted to be named as the First Prize winner.

Mr. Vu Xuan Dan, HCDC (Head of the Jury) said: “The results from the contest will continue to be spread to medical facilities, from central hospitals to wards and communes. HCDC hopes that each medical staff member will become a “green ambassador”, bringing awareness of proper medical waste classification into daily practice.

The final round and award ceremony not only honored the excellent teams but also affirmed the commitment of the Ho Chi Minh City health sector in protecting the environment and public health.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/van-de-quan-tam/tp-ho-chi-minh-lan-toa-y-thuc-phan-loai-chat-thai-y-te-chung-tay-vi-moi-truong-xanh-20251028151859892.htm