On March 23 an assessment meeting for Qinhuangdao Maternity and Child Health Hospital’s mercury-containing medical devices substitution pilot project was held in Qinhuangdao City.
The pilot project began in August 2011 and was jointly conducted by China National Democratic Construction Association Qinhuangdao Municipal Committee, Sino-Union Create, Qinhuangdao Maternity and Child Health Hospital and Global Village of Beijing.
As of February of this year, the hospital has put 400 mercury-free thermometers and 17 mercury-free sphygmomanometers in use. The amount of mercury-containing thermometers in use was reduced from 910 to 140 and the amount of mercury-containing sphygmomanometer was reduced from 38 to 10. In 2012, the hospital will no longer purchase new mercury-containing sphygmomanometers or thermometers.
Qinhuangdao Maternity and Child Health Hospital is one of the few hospitals in China that have conducted mercury-containing medical devices substitution. An important consequence of the project is that it demonstrates the possibility of eliminating mercury-containing medical products to other hospitals.