Health care wastes and their effective disposal at the National Referral Hospital (NRH)

Health care wastes and their effective disposal at the National Referral Hospital (NRH)

Posted by : Posted on : 14-Mar-2021

Healthcare wastes can pose some serious threats to the environment, health care worker, and the general public.

How does the NRH currently dispose of its hospital waste?

Is the waste disposed of by on-site incineration or dumped in landfill sites?

The WHO considers hospital waste as special waste and it is commonly acknowledged that certain categories of healthcare waste are hazardous and potentially dangerous, and dumping such waste in landfills is not recommended.

I believe the Solomon Islands Government recognises the need for waste management and pollution control and developed its first National Solid Waste Management Strategy and Action Plan 2009– 2014 in 2008. In 2017 the SIG came up with a National Waste Management and Pollution Control Strategy 2017-2026 Executive Summary, which said, and I quote.

The country is blessed with a rich environment with diverse marine and terrestrial biodiversity increasingly threatened by human-induced activities, including uncontrolled and poor waste management practices. The Environment Act 1998 provided the first legal platform for a broader environment and sustainable development approach, further strengthened by the establishment of the Environment and Conversation Division (ECD) as the lead government agency for environment management.

However, the country is faced with challenges, including enforcement, capacity and financial constraints to name a few. The formulation of this National Waste Management and Pollution Control Strategy (NWMPCS) 2016– 2024 is part of the ongoing efforts in the country to address the issue of waste and pollution as the country enters a period of rapid social and economic change. The national level initiatives to address waste since independence can be best described as mostly uncoordinated and piecemeal.

End of quote.

Is it prudent to ask what lessons were learned from the NWMPCS and what measures are now in place at the NRH to satisfy WHO requirements for the proper and safe disposal of healthcare waste?

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

www.solomonislandsinfocus.com

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