Manila – Envi-health group, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA), today questions the Philippine government for slacking in the mercury phase-out implementation in health care. “Of the 1,851 hospitals in the country, we only have more than 600 mercury-free or going mercury-free hospitals,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care. “Contrary to Department of Health (DoH) Administrative Order 21 target of 100% phase-out by September 2010.”
According to Ferrer, before the issuance of AO 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions, there were more than 60 hospitals who opted to switch to mercury alternatives. Among these are Philippine Heart Center, General Santos Doctor’s Hospital, Manila Adventist Hospital and San Juan De Dios Hospital.
In a survey conducted by HCWH-SEA, more than 600 hospitals have phased-out mercury thermometers and BP apparatus in their facilities. “While 600+ was a good number in 2010, this is not the case anymore six months after the September 2010 deadline for mercury phase-out,” said Ferrer. “The question on mercury importation ban remains unanswered despite countless appeal to the DoH.”
“We give credit to concerned stakeholders who have worked in this phase-out,” said Ferrer. “Private corporations like mercury-free alternatives distributors have helped in campaigning for mercury-free health care,” said Ferrer citing one health care retail outlet who made a nationwide mercury campaign last year.
“We likewise have artists like Albert Martinez, Judah Paolo and Suzi Abrera who are openly speaking about the dangers of mercury to people’s health and the environment. PhilHealth on the other hand, has included in its Benchbook compliance to AO 21,” she added.
“But we need more concrete actions,” said Ferrer. “While the DoH is no longer giving permits to medical devices distributor to sell mercury thermometers, it does not restrict entry of mercury devices in the country thus they are still widely available in the market.”
“The issue of storage for phased-out mercury devices is still hanging and the 2009 General Appropriations Act 13.2 M allocation for purchase of non-mercurial devices remains unreleased,” Ferrer pointed out.
“We call all hospitals to move with the phase-out. The deadline has expired and our health system is not even close to 50% mercury-free.”
“Based on the regional conferences conducted by HCWH-SEA in 2010, several health facilities run by the local government units are unaware of AO 21,” said Ferrer citing one hospital who purchased mercury thermometers at the last quarter of 2010.
In December 2010, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued Memo 2010-140 enjoining all provincial governors, city mayors, municipal mayors, DILG regional directors and other concerned to ensure compliance to DoH-AO 21.
“This was issued 3 months after expiration date of AO 21. It shows the government’s lack of interest on the phase-out of mercury.”
During the 2010 Presidential election when HCWH-SEA started a signature drive called the Green Health Covenant among health care workers and Presidential aspirants. P-Noy did not sign the Covenant but sent a letter saying the dangers of mercury and other substances harmful to the health and the environment and how to address them will definitely be a priority under the health and environment agenda of his administration.
“We do not see this happening. Not with more than a thousand more hospitals still playing with fire every time they use mercury thermometer or BP apparatus in their facilities.,”
Contact
Sonia G. Astudillo, Communications Officer, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care, +63 920 9327151, faye@hcwh.org
HCWH-SEA will hold the Asia Regional Conference on Mercury-Free Health Care on March 15 (8:30 AM to 6:30 PM) at the Gateway Suites, Gateway Mall, Cubao to tackle the global initiatives to phase-out mercury devices in health care, as well as the mercury phase-out initiatives in Asia and the Philippines. On March 16 (8:15 to 11:15 AM), there will be a panel discussion on Dental Amalgam and its Alternatives and Greening the Health Sector discussing environmental issues like climate change & health care, substituting chemicals in health care, Green & Clean Program in Thailand hospitals, sustainable health care waste management in Philippine hospitals and developing small scale autoclaves for healthcare waste in Tanzania.
HCWH is an international coalition with over 483 member organizations in 53 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
PH ARTISTS UNITE FOR MERCURY PHASE-OUT IN HEALTH CARE
Manila – Following best actress Natalie Portman’s call to the USA Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to limit mercury pollution, several Philippine artists today speak out on the dangers of mercury and call for its phase-out in the health care sector. The ad dubbed Artists unite for mercury phase-out in health care done by envi-health group, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA), is simultaneously released in other Asian countries.
The campaign aims to phase-out mercury in health care and ultimately pushes for importation ban on mercury-containing thermometers and sphygmomanometers.
“Knowing the dangers of mercury to people and the environment, we are calling all health care facilities in the Philippines and around Asia to switch to safer alternatives to mercury devices,” said actor/director Albert Martinez.
The Philippine artists unite and call on other Asian artists to support or to become part of the artists unite for mercury phase-out in health care movement. The group is using social network to reach out to artists around the Asian region.
“We know the power that celebrities, artists and known personalities have in influencing people’s opinion,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care. “Thus we are grateful for these artists who have enlisted their support for mercury phase-out.”
Mercury spills in hospitals, clinics and laboratories expose doctors, nurses and other health care workers and patients to mercury. At low exposure, it may cause tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, neuromuscular changes, headaches, disturbances in sensations, changes in nerve responses and performance deficits on tests of cognitive function. At higher exposure it may cause kidney defects, respiratory failure and even death.
Among the artists featured in the ad are celebrity mom Suzi Abrera, TV & events host Judah Paolo, actor/director Albert Martinez, Survivor Philippines Palau Shaun Rodriguez, tattoo artist Gene Testa, WLS FM DJ Papa Dudut and visual artist Kabunyan De Guia.
“Random check at health care stores and we see that viable alternatives are widely available in the market. On the outside, the alternatives look more expensive but taking into consideration the clean-up cost in cases of mercury spills, the alternatives are way cheaper,” said Abrera who first got involved in the campaign when she hosted a mercury-free caravan with HCWH-SEA and mercury-free alternatives distributors.
“When we visit a hospital, the last thing we want is to expose our family to toxic chemicals like mercury,” said Judah Paolo. “With safe, accurate and affordable alternatives, we wonder why some health care facilities are not yet making the switch to alternatives.”
At room temperature, significant amounts of liquid elemental mercury transform to a gas. If discarded as a waste, mercury will eventually make its way into the environment where organisms living in rivers, lakes or moist earth transform it into highly toxic organic mercury.
According to Ferrer, mercury spill are not contained in one area. “A gram of mercury, this is the amount present in one mercury thermometer, may contaminate 80,940 square meters of lake or 192 basketball courts,” said Ferrer. “And there is no final disposal for mercury.”
A case in point is the Minamata disease brought by reckless dumping of heavy metals including methyl mercury from a factory to the water sources around Minamata, Japan. This claimed countless lives and the effects spanning to more than 50 years.
“We do not need to look that far to see the effects of mercury poisoning,” said Martinez citing an incident in a school in Paranaque where about 20 children had to be hospitalized and chelated after playing with a beaker of elemental mercury. “To date, one boy still suffers from advanced stage of Parkinsonism. We do not want this to happen again, not in our family, not among our friends, not anywhere.”
Parkinsonism refers to symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. It is a neurological syndrome characterized by tremor, hypokinesia, rigidity and postural instability.
In 2008, the Philippine Department of Health signed Administrative Order 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions by 2010. Unfortunately, to date there are only more than 600 mercury-free hospitals in the country.
There are several movements in other Asian countries. Recently, in India, the mercury phase-out guidelines issued to all Central Government hospitals have resulted in the guideline being included in the Indian Public Health Standard for all 30 to 500 bedded hospitals. The Central Pollution Control Board has also framed draft guidelines entitle Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury Waste in Health Care Facilities, emphasizing the collection and storage of mercury from discarded devices.
In Indonesia, the Ministries of Environment and Health hosted a Mercury Roundtable to identify potential partners to promote a mercury-free health care sector. In Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health is implementing GREEN & CLEAN Hospital in 12 regional Health Promotion Hospitals. These hospitals will pilot mercury-free health care. In Nepal, 3 hospitals have piloted a mercury-free health care.
“Mercury phase-out in Philippine health care is one big step,” said Ferrer. “But we need more than this. Thus we are appealing to all health care facilities around Asia to shun away from mercury use in health care. And we are likewise appealing to individuals, to artists whose words are known to draw support from a lot of people to call on your respective government to support the phase-out of mercury in health care.”
Attached is a copy of Artists unite for mercury phase-out in health care or visit http://www.noharm.org/lib/downloads/mercury/Artists_unite_for_mercury_phaseout_in_healthcare_ad.pdf
HCWH-SEA will hold the Asia Regional Conference on Mercury-Free Health Care on March 15 (8:30 AM to 6:30 PM) at the Gateway Suites, Gateway Mall, Cubao to tackle the global initiatives to phase-out mercury devices in health care, as well as the mercury phase-out initiatives in Asia and the Philippines. On March 16 (8:15 to 11:15 AM), there will be a panel discussion on Dental Amalgam & its Alternatives and Greening the Health Sector discussing environmental issues like climate change & health care, substituting chemicals in health care, GREEN & CLEAN Program in Thailand hospitals, sustainable health care waste management in Philippine hospitals and developing small scale autoclaves for healthcare waste in Tanzania.
Contact
Sonia G. Astudillo, Communications Officer, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care, +63 920 9327151, faye@hcwh.org
HCWH is an international coalition with over 483 member organizations in 53 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
The campaign aims to phase-out mercury in health care and ultimately pushes for importation ban on mercury-containing thermometers and sphygmomanometers.
“Knowing the dangers of mercury to people and the environment, we are calling all health care facilities in the Philippines and around Asia to switch to safer alternatives to mercury devices,” said actor/director Albert Martinez.
The Philippine artists unite and call on other Asian artists to support or to become part of the artists unite for mercury phase-out in health care movement. The group is using social network to reach out to artists around the Asian region.
“We know the power that celebrities, artists and known personalities have in influencing people’s opinion,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care. “Thus we are grateful for these artists who have enlisted their support for mercury phase-out.”
Mercury spills in hospitals, clinics and laboratories expose doctors, nurses and other health care workers and patients to mercury. At low exposure, it may cause tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, neuromuscular changes, headaches, disturbances in sensations, changes in nerve responses and performance deficits on tests of cognitive function. At higher exposure it may cause kidney defects, respiratory failure and even death.
Among the artists featured in the ad are celebrity mom Suzi Abrera, TV & events host Judah Paolo, actor/director Albert Martinez, Survivor Philippines Palau Shaun Rodriguez, tattoo artist Gene Testa, WLS FM DJ Papa Dudut and visual artist Kabunyan De Guia.
“Random check at health care stores and we see that viable alternatives are widely available in the market. On the outside, the alternatives look more expensive but taking into consideration the clean-up cost in cases of mercury spills, the alternatives are way cheaper,” said Abrera who first got involved in the campaign when she hosted a mercury-free caravan with HCWH-SEA and mercury-free alternatives distributors.
“When we visit a hospital, the last thing we want is to expose our family to toxic chemicals like mercury,” said Judah Paolo. “With safe, accurate and affordable alternatives, we wonder why some health care facilities are not yet making the switch to alternatives.”
At room temperature, significant amounts of liquid elemental mercury transform to a gas. If discarded as a waste, mercury will eventually make its way into the environment where organisms living in rivers, lakes or moist earth transform it into highly toxic organic mercury.
According to Ferrer, mercury spill are not contained in one area. “A gram of mercury, this is the amount present in one mercury thermometer, may contaminate 80,940 square meters of lake or 192 basketball courts,” said Ferrer. “And there is no final disposal for mercury.”
A case in point is the Minamata disease brought by reckless dumping of heavy metals including methyl mercury from a factory to the water sources around Minamata, Japan. This claimed countless lives and the effects spanning to more than 50 years.
“We do not need to look that far to see the effects of mercury poisoning,” said Martinez citing an incident in a school in Paranaque where about 20 children had to be hospitalized and chelated after playing with a beaker of elemental mercury. “To date, one boy still suffers from advanced stage of Parkinsonism. We do not want this to happen again, not in our family, not among our friends, not anywhere.”
Parkinsonism refers to symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. It is a neurological syndrome characterized by tremor, hypokinesia, rigidity and postural instability.
In 2008, the Philippine Department of Health signed Administrative Order 21 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions by 2010. Unfortunately, to date there are only more than 600 mercury-free hospitals in the country.
There are several movements in other Asian countries. Recently, in India, the mercury phase-out guidelines issued to all Central Government hospitals have resulted in the guideline being included in the Indian Public Health Standard for all 30 to 500 bedded hospitals. The Central Pollution Control Board has also framed draft guidelines entitle Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury Waste in Health Care Facilities, emphasizing the collection and storage of mercury from discarded devices.
In Indonesia, the Ministries of Environment and Health hosted a Mercury Roundtable to identify potential partners to promote a mercury-free health care sector. In Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health is implementing GREEN & CLEAN Hospital in 12 regional Health Promotion Hospitals. These hospitals will pilot mercury-free health care. In Nepal, 3 hospitals have piloted a mercury-free health care.
“Mercury phase-out in Philippine health care is one big step,” said Ferrer. “But we need more than this. Thus we are appealing to all health care facilities around Asia to shun away from mercury use in health care. And we are likewise appealing to individuals, to artists whose words are known to draw support from a lot of people to call on your respective government to support the phase-out of mercury in health care.”
Attached is a copy of Artists unite for mercury phase-out in health care or visit http://www.noharm.org/lib/downloads/mercury/Artists_unite_for_mercury_phaseout_in_healthcare_ad.pdf
HCWH-SEA will hold the Asia Regional Conference on Mercury-Free Health Care on March 15 (8:30 AM to 6:30 PM) at the Gateway Suites, Gateway Mall, Cubao to tackle the global initiatives to phase-out mercury devices in health care, as well as the mercury phase-out initiatives in Asia and the Philippines. On March 16 (8:15 to 11:15 AM), there will be a panel discussion on Dental Amalgam & its Alternatives and Greening the Health Sector discussing environmental issues like climate change & health care, substituting chemicals in health care, GREEN & CLEAN Program in Thailand hospitals, sustainable health care waste management in Philippine hospitals and developing small scale autoclaves for healthcare waste in Tanzania.
Contact
Sonia G. Astudillo, Communications Officer, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care, +63 920 9327151, faye@hcwh.org
HCWH is an international coalition with over 483 member organizations in 53 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Asia Regional Conference on Mercury-free Health Care
The conference will be held in Manila, Philippines, March 15-16, 2011. It is being co-organized by HCWH, WHO and the UNDP GEF Global Healthcare Waste Project.
For more information, contact: faye@hcwh.org or mercuryfreehealthcare2011@gmail.com
For more information, contact: faye@hcwh.org or mercuryfreehealthcare2011@gmail.com
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
DILG orders all LGUs to phase-out mercury in health care facilities
Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) welcomes the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) issuance of a memo on the “reduction of mercury for health care facilities.”
Memorandum Circular 2010-140 issued on December 7 enjoins all provincial governors, city mayors, municipal mayors, DILG regional directors and others concerned to ensure compliance to the Department of Health (DoH) Administrative Order 21 (AO21) mandating gradual phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions. AO21 was signed in September 2008 with a two-year implementation period that ended in September 2010.
“We thank Sec. Jesse Robredo for his action. The memorandum may have come belatedly but if this will ensure compliance from local government unit (LGU) controlled health care facilities in phasing out mercury in 2011, HCWH-SEA will definitely support it,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care.
HCWH-SEA, however, would like to caution the DILG that a mere reduction on the use of mercury-containing devices like thermometers and sphygmomanometers does not really follow the mandate of AO21. The two-year phase-out period set from 2008 to 2010 gave the hospitals more than enough time to accomplish the more specific objectives of AO21 like the immediate stop in the distribution of mercury thermometers in all admission or discharge kits of the hospital and the conduct of an audit to assess the number of mercurial devices that a specific facilitiy still uses.
“For the phase-out in the LGUs to be effective, a more systematic calendaring system would be needed in order for the DILG controlled facilities to accomplish even just the above mentioned objectives, the first quarter of 2011 should be a good time to start it. We at HCWH would really want the LGUs to be more proactive in the campaign and learn from the lessons learned by hospitals during the two-year implementation,” added Ferrer.
Between January and August this year, HCWH-SEA conducted a survey on the compliance to AO21 in all Philippine hospitals. The result, out of the approximately 1,875 hospitals, only 600 were AO21 compliant. “Several LGU representatives, more particular the Provincial Health Officers (PHO), responded to the survey as well. Based on their responses, the LGU respondents were not aware of AO21, therefore, the DILG memo could facilitate and mobilize all LGUs to work on the phase-out,” said Ferrer.
As of November of this year, HCWH-SEA has documented of at least four provinces and two cities that have signified or made some movements to phase-out mercury in health care facilities. In Cebu, Provincial Board Member Arleigh Sitoy upon seeing the low mercury phase-out compliance in Cebu province said that he will author a resolution and an ordinance to fast track mercury phase-out and address the storage issue in Cebu. Likewise, General Santos City Councilor Marius Oco said that he will author a similar ordinance for the City. The provinces of Cavite and Northern Samar have also expressed support for mercury phase-out in their respective areas. While Quezon City government issued an order on mercury phase-out and Bohol is looking at a similar ordinance.
“We are at the junction where everyone concerned must start doing something. Resolutions and ordinance on mercury phase-out will strengthen the DILG memorandum,” said Ferrer. “But we also need to look into those pharmacies who are still selling mercury-containing devices. We need to put a stop to the sale of mercury devices if we are keen on phasing it out.”
In a random phone call conducted by HCWH-SEA, several big retail drugstores in the country are already phasing-out mercury-containing devices. These include South Star Drug, Rose Pharmacy and St. John Pharmacy. Watsons Personal Care Store on the other hand has completely phased-out mercury thermometers and BP devices in its 187 stores nationwide.
“An ordinance banning the sale of mercury devices in each locality may eventually lead to banning importation of mercury devices in the country,” said Ferrer.
“There is likewise a need to ensure that alternatives to mercury devices are available for the hospitals and other health care units. We enjoin pharmacies to switch to selling the alternatives and we further enjoin the LGUs to regulate these pharmacies.”
With the new DILG memo, another issue that needs to be looked at is the provision of safe storage for phased-out mercury devices. According to AO 21, phased-out devices must be stored in a safe place within the hospital premises.
“That must not stop the LGU to work with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other concerned agencies to look into a more centralized storage area for the phased-out devices.
“We also encourage LGUs to work with hospitals that have already moved for mercury phase-out and have their experiences shared with other health care units,” said Ferrer.
“Thorough and full implementation of DoH AO 21 and DILG Memorandum 140 is important, we need action not just paper pushing. HCWH-SEA believes that this is the way to ensure health care workers and the general public that the government is determined to rid itself from the dangers and harm of mercury.”
HCWH is an international coalition with over 483 member organizations in 53 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org
Memorandum Circular 2010-140 issued on December 7 enjoins all provincial governors, city mayors, municipal mayors, DILG regional directors and others concerned to ensure compliance to the Department of Health (DoH) Administrative Order 21 (AO21) mandating gradual phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions. AO21 was signed in September 2008 with a two-year implementation period that ended in September 2010.
“We thank Sec. Jesse Robredo for his action. The memorandum may have come belatedly but if this will ensure compliance from local government unit (LGU) controlled health care facilities in phasing out mercury in 2011, HCWH-SEA will definitely support it,” said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury in Health Care.
HCWH-SEA, however, would like to caution the DILG that a mere reduction on the use of mercury-containing devices like thermometers and sphygmomanometers does not really follow the mandate of AO21. The two-year phase-out period set from 2008 to 2010 gave the hospitals more than enough time to accomplish the more specific objectives of AO21 like the immediate stop in the distribution of mercury thermometers in all admission or discharge kits of the hospital and the conduct of an audit to assess the number of mercurial devices that a specific facilitiy still uses.
“For the phase-out in the LGUs to be effective, a more systematic calendaring system would be needed in order for the DILG controlled facilities to accomplish even just the above mentioned objectives, the first quarter of 2011 should be a good time to start it. We at HCWH would really want the LGUs to be more proactive in the campaign and learn from the lessons learned by hospitals during the two-year implementation,” added Ferrer.
Between January and August this year, HCWH-SEA conducted a survey on the compliance to AO21 in all Philippine hospitals. The result, out of the approximately 1,875 hospitals, only 600 were AO21 compliant. “Several LGU representatives, more particular the Provincial Health Officers (PHO), responded to the survey as well. Based on their responses, the LGU respondents were not aware of AO21, therefore, the DILG memo could facilitate and mobilize all LGUs to work on the phase-out,” said Ferrer.
As of November of this year, HCWH-SEA has documented of at least four provinces and two cities that have signified or made some movements to phase-out mercury in health care facilities. In Cebu, Provincial Board Member Arleigh Sitoy upon seeing the low mercury phase-out compliance in Cebu province said that he will author a resolution and an ordinance to fast track mercury phase-out and address the storage issue in Cebu. Likewise, General Santos City Councilor Marius Oco said that he will author a similar ordinance for the City. The provinces of Cavite and Northern Samar have also expressed support for mercury phase-out in their respective areas. While Quezon City government issued an order on mercury phase-out and Bohol is looking at a similar ordinance.
“We are at the junction where everyone concerned must start doing something. Resolutions and ordinance on mercury phase-out will strengthen the DILG memorandum,” said Ferrer. “But we also need to look into those pharmacies who are still selling mercury-containing devices. We need to put a stop to the sale of mercury devices if we are keen on phasing it out.”
In a random phone call conducted by HCWH-SEA, several big retail drugstores in the country are already phasing-out mercury-containing devices. These include South Star Drug, Rose Pharmacy and St. John Pharmacy. Watsons Personal Care Store on the other hand has completely phased-out mercury thermometers and BP devices in its 187 stores nationwide.
“An ordinance banning the sale of mercury devices in each locality may eventually lead to banning importation of mercury devices in the country,” said Ferrer.
“There is likewise a need to ensure that alternatives to mercury devices are available for the hospitals and other health care units. We enjoin pharmacies to switch to selling the alternatives and we further enjoin the LGUs to regulate these pharmacies.”
With the new DILG memo, another issue that needs to be looked at is the provision of safe storage for phased-out mercury devices. According to AO 21, phased-out devices must be stored in a safe place within the hospital premises.
“That must not stop the LGU to work with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other concerned agencies to look into a more centralized storage area for the phased-out devices.
“We also encourage LGUs to work with hospitals that have already moved for mercury phase-out and have their experiences shared with other health care units,” said Ferrer.
“Thorough and full implementation of DoH AO 21 and DILG Memorandum 140 is important, we need action not just paper pushing. HCWH-SEA believes that this is the way to ensure health care workers and the general public that the government is determined to rid itself from the dangers and harm of mercury.”
HCWH is an international coalition with over 483 member organizations in 53 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Faye Ferrer, +63 920 9327151; faye@hcwh.org
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
ENVI-HEALTH GROUP CONDEMNS NURSE GANG RAPE INCINDENT: Calls it a chronic disease
Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) condemns the gang rape of a volunteer nurse in South Upi Maguindanao and calls on the government to provide tighter security to volunteer health workers in far-flung communities.
“If we cannot provide jobs, good working condition or a just pay, we must at least provide them with a secure work atmosphere,” said Merci Ferrer, Executive Director of HCWH-SEA. “These nurses have gone out of their way to volunteer their services, the least we can do is take care of them the way they are taking care of the people in the community.
Rape victim “Florence” is among the volunteer nurses under the Nurses Assistance for Rural Services (NARS) program. The program provides P8,000 monthly stipend to each nurse and is subsidized by the labor department and implemented by the Department of Health (DoH) in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Marawi City.
The group likewise calls the utter disrespect for health workers “a chronic disease” that needs to be treated soon.
“We need an awareness campaign to elevate the status of health workers—nurses, midwives, barangay health workers—in the society. We need to recognize their contribution in every barangay,” said Ferrer.
“Nowadays when nurses are choosing greener pastures abroad, we need to give tribute to those who stay and choose to serve the community,” Ferrer added. “We do not just give them a plaque of appreciation. We give them our outmost respect.
Between 1994 and 2003, around 85,000 Filipino nurses went abroad while 3,000 doctors left the country as nurses from 2000 to 2005 and an additional 3,000 enrolled in nursing schools in 2006.
“Health workers, nurses included, serve the communities in different ways. The most common way is working in a health facility. But there are those who choose to volunteer in far-flung communities where health services are scarce. They are to be honored. They may not bring in the remittances but their services are directly felt by the people.”
“We enjoin other health workers and other health groups locally and internationally to support the call for justice for “Florence” and for just treatment for all health workers.”
HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, +63 920 905 6113, merci@hcwh.org
“If we cannot provide jobs, good working condition or a just pay, we must at least provide them with a secure work atmosphere,” said Merci Ferrer, Executive Director of HCWH-SEA. “These nurses have gone out of their way to volunteer their services, the least we can do is take care of them the way they are taking care of the people in the community.
Rape victim “Florence” is among the volunteer nurses under the Nurses Assistance for Rural Services (NARS) program. The program provides P8,000 monthly stipend to each nurse and is subsidized by the labor department and implemented by the Department of Health (DoH) in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Marawi City.
The group likewise calls the utter disrespect for health workers “a chronic disease” that needs to be treated soon.
“We need an awareness campaign to elevate the status of health workers—nurses, midwives, barangay health workers—in the society. We need to recognize their contribution in every barangay,” said Ferrer.
“Nowadays when nurses are choosing greener pastures abroad, we need to give tribute to those who stay and choose to serve the community,” Ferrer added. “We do not just give them a plaque of appreciation. We give them our outmost respect.
Between 1994 and 2003, around 85,000 Filipino nurses went abroad while 3,000 doctors left the country as nurses from 2000 to 2005 and an additional 3,000 enrolled in nursing schools in 2006.
“Health workers, nurses included, serve the communities in different ways. The most common way is working in a health facility. But there are those who choose to volunteer in far-flung communities where health services are scarce. They are to be honored. They may not bring in the remittances but their services are directly felt by the people.”
“We enjoin other health workers and other health groups locally and internationally to support the call for justice for “Florence” and for just treatment for all health workers.”
HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, +63 920 905 6113, merci@hcwh.org
Friday, October 1, 2010
ENVI-HEALTH GROUP DEMANDS FOR FAIR SHARE OF THE BUDGET
NEWS RELEASE
October 1, 2010
ENVI-HEALTH GROUP DEMANDS FOR FAIR SHARE OF THE BUDGET
Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia(HCWH-SEA) today asks members of the House of Representatives (HOR) Committee on Appropriations to push the Department of Health to report on the still unreleased 2008 and 2009 envi-health budget.
According to Merci Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Executive Director, the 2008 and 2009 General Appropriation Act allot 100 M for purchase of autoclaves for medical waste treatment and 13.2 M for alternatives to mercurial thermometers for DoH-controlled hospitals. The Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the two appropriations are already available but “we have yet to see the goods”.
Autoclaves use steam to treat and disinfect infectious medical wastes. Upon disinfection, the wastes are cleaner than regular household wastes and maybe discarded along with general wastes.
“Purchase of alternative treatment technologies may not seem as urgent as dengue outbreak on the outset,” said Ferrer. “But when you look closely, all the disease outbreaks produce more and more medical wastes that if not treated properly will cause more harm to hospital workers, patients and the community.”
“We need to look at the bigger picture. Take for example the case of plastics. A few years ago, people didn’t care how much plastics we used and where we throw them. But now that we see islands of plastic wastes, we start to panic and ask, ‘how do we address the problem?’” said Ferrer.
“Same is true with medical wastes. We need to address the issue while it is still manageable.”
With regards to the budget for alternatives to mercury thermometer, the DoH in 2008 issued Administrative Order 2008-0021 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions by 2010.
“September 2010 marks the deadline for the complete phase-out of mercury thermometers and blood pressure apparatus in all our hospitals. Our hospitals, local health units like the community and barangay health centers need support from the government in the phase-out and introduction of alternatives,” said Ferrer.
Mercury, although generally thought of as the gold standard for measuring device is harmful to people’s health and the environment. It causes tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, neuromuscular changes, headaches, disturbance in sensations, changes in nerve response and performance deficits on cognitive functions tests. At higher exposure, it causes damages to lungs and kidneys, as well as to the nervous, digestive, respiratory and immune systems.
In an on-going survey conducted by HCWH-SEA, of the 1,851 health care facilities in the country, 556 have initiated mercury phase-out of the more than 600 hospitals who responded.
“Unfortunately, majority of local-government unit (LGU)-run health care facilities are so behind in the implementation of mercury phase-out due to financial problems. The 13.2 M allocation for mercury alternatives will definitely help these health care institutions,” said Ferrer.
“Again, this issue might seem trivial compared to disease outbreaks but keep in mind that effects of mercury exposure are irreversible. We do not want our health care institutions to bring more health problems, most especially if these are preventable.”
HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, +63 920 9056113, merci@hcwh.org
October 1, 2010
ENVI-HEALTH GROUP DEMANDS FOR FAIR SHARE OF THE BUDGET
Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia(HCWH-SEA) today asks members of the House of Representatives (HOR) Committee on Appropriations to push the Department of Health to report on the still unreleased 2008 and 2009 envi-health budget.
According to Merci Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Executive Director, the 2008 and 2009 General Appropriation Act allot 100 M for purchase of autoclaves for medical waste treatment and 13.2 M for alternatives to mercurial thermometers for DoH-controlled hospitals. The Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the two appropriations are already available but “we have yet to see the goods”.
Autoclaves use steam to treat and disinfect infectious medical wastes. Upon disinfection, the wastes are cleaner than regular household wastes and maybe discarded along with general wastes.
“Purchase of alternative treatment technologies may not seem as urgent as dengue outbreak on the outset,” said Ferrer. “But when you look closely, all the disease outbreaks produce more and more medical wastes that if not treated properly will cause more harm to hospital workers, patients and the community.”
“We need to look at the bigger picture. Take for example the case of plastics. A few years ago, people didn’t care how much plastics we used and where we throw them. But now that we see islands of plastic wastes, we start to panic and ask, ‘how do we address the problem?’” said Ferrer.
“Same is true with medical wastes. We need to address the issue while it is still manageable.”
With regards to the budget for alternatives to mercury thermometer, the DoH in 2008 issued Administrative Order 2008-0021 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions by 2010.
“September 2010 marks the deadline for the complete phase-out of mercury thermometers and blood pressure apparatus in all our hospitals. Our hospitals, local health units like the community and barangay health centers need support from the government in the phase-out and introduction of alternatives,” said Ferrer.
Mercury, although generally thought of as the gold standard for measuring device is harmful to people’s health and the environment. It causes tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, neuromuscular changes, headaches, disturbance in sensations, changes in nerve response and performance deficits on cognitive functions tests. At higher exposure, it causes damages to lungs and kidneys, as well as to the nervous, digestive, respiratory and immune systems.
In an on-going survey conducted by HCWH-SEA, of the 1,851 health care facilities in the country, 556 have initiated mercury phase-out of the more than 600 hospitals who responded.
“Unfortunately, majority of local-government unit (LGU)-run health care facilities are so behind in the implementation of mercury phase-out due to financial problems. The 13.2 M allocation for mercury alternatives will definitely help these health care institutions,” said Ferrer.
“Again, this issue might seem trivial compared to disease outbreaks but keep in mind that effects of mercury exposure are irreversible. We do not want our health care institutions to bring more health problems, most especially if these are preventable.”
HCWH is an international coalition of more than 470 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. For more information on HCWH-SEA, see www.noharm.org.ph.
Sonia G. Astudillo, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, +63 920 9056113, merci@hcwh.org
Thursday, August 26, 2010
ENVI GROUPS LAUD DOH SCRAPPING OF INCINERATOR PLAN
NEWS RELEASE
August 26, 2010
ENVI GROUPS LAUD DOH SCRAPPING OF INCINERATOR PLAN
Cancellation of incinerator debt pushed
“Bid incineration goodbye once and for all.”
This was the call of Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA), Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Greenpeace and Ecowaste Coalition in a round table discussion with the Department of Health (DoH) where the later announced the scrapping of planned revival of incinerators.
The DoH’s draft Health Executive Agenda for Legislation proposed amendment of the Clean Air Act (1) to allow the use of incinerators designed in such a way that product combustion gases shall be treated and harmful emissions are removed before gases are released to the atmosphere and (2) advance emission control design and stringent regulation shall ensure wastes are disposed without detrimental impact to the environment.
The four organizations immediately questioned the proposal and sent a letter asking the Department to scrap the plan. DoH immediately retracted the plan and said it will no longer include incineration in the HEAL which will be presented in Congress.
Cancel incinerator plan, cancel incinerator debt
The groups likewise asked the DoH to take an active role in pushing the Legislative to cancel the debt payment for the P503 million Austrian Medical Waste Incinerator Project.
The government started paying the loan in 2001 and is scheduled to pay an average US$2 million a year until 2014.
It is the group’s assertion that the annual payment of the debt of US$2M should be re-channeled to much needed health services, specifically funding for safe waste treatment and disposal of public hospitals and other health care facilities’ infectious wastes.
In 1999, Philippines successfully banned the use of incinerators for general wastes and subsequently the use of incinerators for medical waste in 2003 “which process emits poisonous and toxic fumes” with the approval of the CAA. The country remains the only country in the world to ban incinerators.
According to the group of environmentalists, “We are paying for supposedly state-of-the-art medical waste incinerators that were proven to be substandard and emitting dioxins way beyond the limit set by CAA. One of these incinerators, for instance, scandalously emitted nine times the limit for particulate matter, twelve times the limit set for hydrogen chloride, almost double the limit for lead and 870 times the limit for dioxins and furans compared to the CAA threshold.”
Alternatives everywhere
HCWH-SEA highlighted the presence of alternatives to incineration which are far safer. They cited several hospitals who for years have used the basics of waste management. These are waste minimization, segregation, proper training and knowledge of safe non-burn treatment systems and technologies. .
“There is no need for us to go back to incineration.” according to Merci Ferrer of HCWH-SEA. “What DOH and other government agencies concerned on wastes should do is sustain their efforts in monitoring the compliance of health care facilities on proper health care waste management and be vigilant on the resurgence of incinerators in the guise of pyrolisis, plasma, thermal oxidizer…”
Sonia G. Astudillo, HCWH-SEA, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, HCWH-SEA, +63 9209056113, merci@hcwh.org
August 26, 2010
ENVI GROUPS LAUD DOH SCRAPPING OF INCINERATOR PLAN
Cancellation of incinerator debt pushed
“Bid incineration goodbye once and for all.”
This was the call of Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA), Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Greenpeace and Ecowaste Coalition in a round table discussion with the Department of Health (DoH) where the later announced the scrapping of planned revival of incinerators.
The DoH’s draft Health Executive Agenda for Legislation proposed amendment of the Clean Air Act (1) to allow the use of incinerators designed in such a way that product combustion gases shall be treated and harmful emissions are removed before gases are released to the atmosphere and (2) advance emission control design and stringent regulation shall ensure wastes are disposed without detrimental impact to the environment.
The four organizations immediately questioned the proposal and sent a letter asking the Department to scrap the plan. DoH immediately retracted the plan and said it will no longer include incineration in the HEAL which will be presented in Congress.
Cancel incinerator plan, cancel incinerator debt
The groups likewise asked the DoH to take an active role in pushing the Legislative to cancel the debt payment for the P503 million Austrian Medical Waste Incinerator Project.
The government started paying the loan in 2001 and is scheduled to pay an average US$2 million a year until 2014.
It is the group’s assertion that the annual payment of the debt of US$2M should be re-channeled to much needed health services, specifically funding for safe waste treatment and disposal of public hospitals and other health care facilities’ infectious wastes.
In 1999, Philippines successfully banned the use of incinerators for general wastes and subsequently the use of incinerators for medical waste in 2003 “which process emits poisonous and toxic fumes” with the approval of the CAA. The country remains the only country in the world to ban incinerators.
According to the group of environmentalists, “We are paying for supposedly state-of-the-art medical waste incinerators that were proven to be substandard and emitting dioxins way beyond the limit set by CAA. One of these incinerators, for instance, scandalously emitted nine times the limit for particulate matter, twelve times the limit set for hydrogen chloride, almost double the limit for lead and 870 times the limit for dioxins and furans compared to the CAA threshold.”
Alternatives everywhere
HCWH-SEA highlighted the presence of alternatives to incineration which are far safer. They cited several hospitals who for years have used the basics of waste management. These are waste minimization, segregation, proper training and knowledge of safe non-burn treatment systems and technologies. .
“There is no need for us to go back to incineration.” according to Merci Ferrer of HCWH-SEA. “What DOH and other government agencies concerned on wastes should do is sustain their efforts in monitoring the compliance of health care facilities on proper health care waste management and be vigilant on the resurgence of incinerators in the guise of pyrolisis, plasma, thermal oxidizer…”
Sonia G. Astudillo, HCWH-SEA, +63 918 9182369, sonia@hcwh.org
Merci Ferrer, HCWH-SEA, +63 9209056113, merci@hcwh.org
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