Mercury Watch Series: UPD’s APO HEATS UP ENVI-HEALTH GROUP’S MERCURY WATCH

Mercury Watch Series:
UPD’s APO HEATS UP ENVI-HEALTH GROUP’S MERCURY WATCH

“It is time we take an issue that is important not just to the youth but to the rest of humanity,” said AJ Verceles, APO-Eta Chapter Grand Chancellor, as they help launch Health Care Without Harm (HCWH)-Southeast Asia’s Mercury Watch Campaign.

The Mercury Watch Campaign, which will be launched in APO’s weeklong anniversary celebration is HCWH-SEA’s countdown to the Department of Health’s (DoH) gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine hospitals and health care facilities by 2010.

“The Campaign will serve as the watchdog for the implementation of DoH Administrative Order 21 mandating this phase-out,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury.

AO 21 which was signed in August 11, 2008 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.

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.

“We hope that thru the AO, the phase-out of mercury containing devices will speed-up and thus make the 2010 deadline a reality,” said Ferrer.

“That is where APO comes in. We hope to help raise awareness of the issue not just here in the University but to the whole country. We believe that the mercury is a global issue and it is not just about health. It is about the environment and our future,” said Verceles.

The launch of the campaign starts with HCWH-SEA’s first two Campaign Videos which is first shown at the University of the Philippines-Diliman APO-Eta Chapter Weeklong Anniversary Celebration. The video is simultaneously broadcasted at HCWH international meeting in Jaipur, India attended by international organizations all working towards the phase-out of mercury.

The Campaign Video directed by Rosela Sartaguda, Make the Switch, features VJ Juddha Paolo talking about the dangers of mercury in health care. The second, First, Do No Harm, reminds medical practitioners of their Hippocratic Oath: To first, do no harm.

Juddha Paolo is a spoken word artist, actor and TV and events host. He is a co-producer of Isang Lahi: Pearls from the Orient film to be released on the Spring of 2008.

Rosela Sartaguda is a freelance copy writer, interior designer and an independent filmmaker.

Video is available upon request.

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)