International group commends RP's mercury-free health care system

August 19, 2008

INTERNATIONAL GROUP COMMENDS RP’S MERCURY-FREE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Manila - Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)-Southeast Asia commends the recent signing of an Administrative Order that will make the Philippine health care system mercury-free by 2010.

“This is a very welcome move that will elevate the status of the Philippines as an environmentally-health conscious nation,” said Merci Ferrer, Executive Director of HCWH-SEA.

“Now, the Philippines is not just the only country in the world to ban the use of incinerators. It is also the 1^st in the whole of Southeast Asia to phase-out mercury in its health care system,” she added.

Administrative Order 2008-0021 mandates all hospitals to discontinue the distribution of mercury thermometers in the patient’s admission/discharge kits. Further, it requires all hospitals to follow the guidelines for the gradual phase-out of mercury in two years.

According to Ferrer, as early as January 2006, the Department of Health has announced its commitment to gradually eliminate mercury-use in its health care system.

In a regional conference on mercury in February this year, the DOH in collaboration with HCWH promised to come up with the AO outlining gradual phase-out of mercury devices in the country including thermometer, sphygmomanometer and other mercury-containing devices.

Another salient provision of the AO is the requirement to all new health care facilities applying for a license to operate to submit an inventory of all mercury-containing devices that will be used in their facilities and a corresponding mercury elimination program.

The AO also mandates that all other health care facilities other than hospital shall make a Mercury Minimization Program.

“The challenge now is for the Health Department to make it happen and allow Philippines’ health care system join the ranks of responsible health care systems in US, Europe and the rest of European Union,” said Ferrer.

Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) is a global coalition of 473 organizations in more than 50 countries working to protect health by reducing pollution in health care sector. For more information, visit www.noharm.org.