ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH GROUP URGES APO ALUMNI IN HEALTH CARE TO SUPPORT MERCURY WATCH CAMPAIGN

December 13, 2008

Mercury Watch Series:
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH GROUP URGES APO ALUMNI IN HEALTH CARE TO SUPPORT MERCURY WATCH CAMPAIGN

Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia urges APO alumni who are now working in hospitals and health care system setting to support the Mercury Watch Campaign recently launched at the University of the Philippines-Diliman in cooperation with APO-Eta Chapter.

“The Mercury Watch Campaign, which is our countdown to the Department of Health’s (DoH) Administrative Order 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine hospitals and health care facilities by 2010, aims to gather support from both medical and non-medical practitioners,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer.

“APO-Eta Chapter is helping us raise awareness to the issue. We believe that the APO alumni who are now in the health care field may take on the role of inside watchers being the ones directly inside hospital set-up,” she explained.

She added that occupational safety is among the issues raised by doctors, nurses and other health care workers around the world for the urgency of the move to replace mercury with alternatives. Danger to people, wildlife and the environment, availability of alternatives and financial considerations/clean-up cost are the other factors.

AJ Verceles, APO-Eta Chapter Grand Chancellor, on the other hand said “the Mercury Watch Campaign is an issue that we would like to be a part of. This mercury phase-out in health care facilities and institutions, although unknown to many, is an issue that warrants our immediate attention.”

He added, “Medical practitioners and other hospital workers are the ones who will greatly benefit from the campaign and the phasing-out of mercury.”

“Unfortunately, they are the same ones on the losing end if we do not certify this campaign as urgent,” Ferrer added.

AO 21 signed by the DoH in August 11, 2008 mandates all hospitals to immediately discontinue the distribution of mercury thermometers in the patient’s admission/discharge kits. It requires all hospitals to follow the guidelines for the gradual phase-out of mercury in two years and all health care facilities to have a Mercury Minimization Progam.

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. (30)