Key Issues Identified During the Eastern Visayas Inception Workshop

Tacloban City, Philippines – The Philippine Mercury and Healthcare Waste Management Project (PHCWMP) concluded its second stage of regional kick-off meetings in Eastern Visayas with high hopes after identifying possible interventions to address major challenges related to medical waste in the project partner hospital.

The Region 8 kick-off meeting and validation workshop was held on May 30-31, 2024 and was attended by representatives from the Pollution Control Unit of the partner hospital, Eastern Visayas Medical Center ( EVMC), as well as representatives from the region 8. offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) and the Department of Health (DOH). The meeting was facilitated by the central office of the DENR-EMB, the national lead agency for the project, and the environmental NGO BAN Toxics, which serves as the implementing entity. Also present was the DENR Foreign Assistance and Special Projects Unit.

A tour of EVMC's waste management facilities took place on May 30, while the actual commissioning took place on May 31.

“After a very productive discussion with our partners here in Eastern Visayas, we have identified current issues at EVMC that require attention. These include their insufficient capacity to treat and store medical waste generated daily, access to the final disposal of this waste and the need to raise awareness among hospital staff and the patient population about waste sorting ”, shares Jam Lorenzo, BAN Toxics Policy and Policy Manager. research agent and
PHCWMP project manager.

The series of regional kick-off meetings and validation workshops conducted by the PHCWMP aims to identify current medical waste challenges faced by the project's partner health facilities. These results will serve as a basis for project interventions.

Located in Tacloban City, EVMC is a DOH retained hospital that provides comprehensive health care services to the people of Region 8. It is a tertiary hospital mandated under the Operation Program health facilities to provide quality health care services.

Based on the data presented at the workshop, EVMC generated a total of 217,775 tonnes of pathological and infectious waste (classified as M501 waste by the EMB) and 191,345 tonnes of general waste in 2023. A comparison of M501 waste generated in the first quarter of 2023. and 2024 indicates an increase by more than three. In the first quarter of 2023, 40.66 tonnes were generated, while in the first quarter of 2024, this figure increased to 138.27 tonnes.

During the open forum of the meeting, Yanina Antasuda, Environmental Management Specialist II of the EMB Hazardous Waste Management Section, said that based on their monitoring system, the storage and disposal of the M501 are a common problem for healthcare facilities nationwide, especially during the pandemic. This is one of the main reasons why the project was conceptualized.

“We want this project to succeed and our goal is to ensure the sustainability of the programs implemented beyond the five-year duration of the project. Most importantly, we want our partner healthcare facilities to become models for other hospitals, enabling them to replicate the project’s best practices and technologies.” » said Antusada.

Meanwhile, Mom. Elena Joy Villarosa, DOH Region 8 HCWM Program Manager, expressed gratitude for choosing EVMC as one of the project’s partner-beneficiaries. She said she looked forward to the policy review that will be carried out by the project, noting that there might be policy gaps that should be filled since waste management is not only the concern of hospitals, but also from different levels of local government. units.

The first year of PHCWMP implementation will focus on reviewing policies to determine
improvements for easier implementation of waste management practices. It also includes baseline data to ensure a scientific approach to the interventions that will be carried out.

“It is not only EVMC and the environment that will benefit from this project, but also the communities residing near the hospital. We want everyone to realize that medical waste management is not just the responsibility of government agencies; everyone
should play a role,” Villarosa said.

Lorenzo, meanwhile, says the success of the project would mean that hospitals would be able to provide better service to the public and protect the population from exposure to hazardous waste. “Ultimately, this protects our right to health and a safe environment,” he adds.

The PHCWMP, which will be implemented in Region 2, Region 8 and the National Capital Region, plans to reduce discharges and emissions of hazardous chemicals found in healthcare waste through environmentally friendly practices. the environment. This five-year project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and will be administered by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The first kick-off meeting took place on May 23 in Region 2, and the third meeting for the NCR is scheduled for June 10.

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