HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT DISPOSAL OF GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL IN CALOOCAN CITY

ABSTRACT

Title : HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT DISPOSAL OF 

        GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL IN CALOOCAN CITY

Researcher : TESSIEREE C. BISWAS

Degree : Master in Public Administration                        

School : University of Caloocan City

Year : March, 2018

Hazardous wastes make up only approximately 15 percent of hospital refuse, but the threat they pose to human health and the environment is serious because these are either infectious, toxic, radioactive, containing sharps, or a combination of all of these wastes. However, Caloocan City government hospitals are not fully equipped such kinds of health-care wastes. They typically outsource the disposal of hazardous refuse. But the segregation and collection of these dangerous wastes still lie in the hands of hospital personnel, which is crucial because, just like one North Caloocan public hospital, they are usually situated in a locality with residential areas surrounding.

This study therefore aims to assess the Hazardous Waste Management Disposal practices of government hospitals in Caloocan City. Initially, the researcher intended to study among the three existing public hospitals of Caloocan City: Caloocan City North Medical Center and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital from the North, and Caloocan City Medical Center (formerly President Diosdado Macapagal Medical Center) from the South. However, Caloocan City North Medical Center and Caloocan City Medical Center both declined as they were accordingly still in the process of formalizing their health-care waste management practices. The researcher also tried to inquire among private hospitals, but all declined accordingly due to the same issue. Only Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital responded positively to the request to conduct the study. Thus, the researcher has focused gathering in Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, since all public hospitals in the country including those in Caloocan City are supposedly bound by the same protocols in segregation, collection, and disposal of hazardous wastes as per the guidelines instituted by the DOH. Evaluation and descriptive normative methods of research are used. The responses of 250 hospital personnel composed of administrators, doctors, nurses, housekeeping, and other staff who encounter hazardous wastes on a daily basis are sought, and their answers tabulated and interpreted using frequency, percentage, and weighted mean as statistical tools.

From the data gathered, it was found out that Caloocan City government hospitals have been satisfactorily able to manage their hazardous wastes, and the order of compliance is as follows: following the policies and guidelines of the Department of Health, implementation, mitigation of health risks, monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring that there are adequate resources. There is an apparent need to improve the quality of hazardous waste management in Caloocan City government hospitals, from practices employed within the hospital to the outsourced services, and information of persons at risk also needs to be intensified. The most common issues in hazardous waste management have something to do with lack of equipment and proper facilities, particularly proper storage, segregation, and waste management implementation. The role of the Healthcare Waste Management Committee in each Caloocan City government hospital is crucial in ensuring hazardous waste management practices are properly implemented, and there is a clamor to update equipment and facilities for hazardous waste management in Caloocan City government hospitals as well as to develop standards for hazardous waste management issues that are more relatable to the immediate community.

Thus, the researcher recommends to conduct intensified information campaigns about hazardous waste management for persons at risk, and to base these on the Department of Health policies and guidelines that have been proven to be easy-to-follow, well-researched, and continuously upgrading. It is also recommended to encourage the DOH, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) Division of the Department of Labor and Employment to team up in ensuring that hazardous waste management best practices are employed in all government hospitals including those in Caloocan City, and to tap the Caloocan City government for support in certain materials needed in hazardous waste management such as additional containers and informative educational materials. International groups/organizations  could also be sought for assistance in acquiring specialty equipment such as personal protective gear and innovative machines that can adapt to any type of medical waste. The researcher also calls on the DOH to form a mechanism or conduct further studies on how 4.to instill more accountability among the members of the Healthcare Waste Management Committee of each hospital. Healthcare Waste Management Committees are also encouraged to come up or conduct further studies for a model of hazardous waste management best practices that are tailor-made for Caloocan City government hospitals.