Best known for its spectacular scenery and ancient culture, Nepal is also starting to take serious action to tackle its medical waste and mercury problems.
At the moment, most hospitals still use mercury thermometers and blood pressure meters, and medical waste is disposed of with municipal waste, where it can pose a risk to the general public and rag pickers.
Health Care Without Harm members, the Health Care Foundation Nepal (HECAF) and Center For Public Health And Environmental Development (CEPHED) are teaming up the second week of March 2010 to deliver a training on medical waste management for district health officials and nurses. HCWH strategic partner in India,Toxics Link, will also be sharing their expertise, and other speakers will come from the World Health Organisation and Nepali hospitals.
HECAF have already created Nepal’s first safe and sustainable medical waste management system at the National Kidney Centre and are in the process of replicating the system to other hospitals in the capital, Kathmandu, the second city, Pokhara, and in small clinics in various locations across the country. At the National Kidney Centre, the waste is segregated at source in the wards, according to the material it is made of, and whether in is potentially infectious. Next, the infectious waste is disinfected in a dedicated autoclave. Needles are cut off syringes before autoclaving. Recyclable materials are then sold to traders, and the income covers about 40% of the total waste disposal costs.
The National Kidney Centre is also Nepal’s first mercury-free hospital, and both HECAF and CEPHED are keen to see the toxic metal completely phased out. HECAF is focussing on assisting its partner hospitals to phase out use in medical devices, whereas CEPHED are creating educational materials and working on outreach to all the addressing all uses of mercury across the country.
Ruth Stringer, from Health Care Without Harm’s International team, says “With the help of HCWH members, Nepal is really starting to wake up to the issues of health and environment. More and more healthcare providers are looking for alternatives to mercury, and for better ways to treat and dispose of their medical waste. National and local governments, universities and medical colleges and international agencies are all realising the scale of the problems, but also the fact that real solutions are possible. 2010 is set to be the start of big changes in Nepal.”