Medical Waste Awareness at an All-time High in Nepal

A front-page news article in the Himalayan - one of Nepal's leading English language newspapers - reports the government warning that hospitals that do not treat their waste will lose their licences and be forced to shut down. A team lead by a representative from the Prime Minister's office visited three Kathmandu Hospitals in December and found that only one was treating their waste properly. That one hospital was Bir, where HECAF has created a sustainable waste management system with support from HCWH and the World Health Organisation. A short HECAF video about the progress at Bir, by filmmaker Russ Pariseau, can be seen here.

The Prime Minister and the Minister of Science and Technology also came to the Energy Week Workshop organised by the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre and visited HECAF's stall, where they were raising awareness about HCWH's Global Green and Healthy Hospital's, and the potential of biodigestion to treat waste and generate renewable energy in hospitals. Biodigestion is just one of the innovative technologies that are being piloted at Bir, and plans for other hospitals are under development.

Outside of the capital, the Chitwan District Public Health Office, a government institution responsible for Public Health, is also backing HECAF and HCWH's work. The District Public Health Officer is supporting our project to develop waste systems suitable for the small healthposts that so many of the rural population depend on. Suitable pilot facilities have already been identified and the next step will be to raise awareness with facility bosses across the region and field testing some of the priority technologies.

Health Care Without Harm has been working with strategic partners Healthcare Foundation Nepal (HECAF) since 2008 and the issue has never been hotter.

Ruth Stringer, HCWH International Science & Policy Coordinator