Medical waste from hospitals and healthcare facilities poses a significant risk of environmental pollution due to its high content of pathogenic microorganisms and harmful chemicals used in medical activities. The healthcare sector has ramped up inspections, monitoring, and public awareness campaigns to ensure compliance with legal regulations on managing and treating medical waste. This effort contributes to improving healthcare quality and protecting both patients' and the public's health.

The health sector inspects the medical waste management procedures at a healthcare facility. Photo: PHAN CHUNG.

The municipal Department of Health is currently inspecting 28 medical facilities across the city for their waste management practices. This annual activity aims to review conditions at each facility, immediately addressing shortcomings in specific processes, stages, departments, or individuals to ensure full compliance with medical waste management and treatment regulations.

The inspections focus on medical wastewater monitoring, waste management records, classification of medical plastic waste from professional activities, and contingency plans for environmental incidents caused by medical waste. They also ensure that waste storage areas and waste management in hospital departments are up to standard.

These aspects are regulated under Government Decree, Circular of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Ministry of Health on managing and treating medical waste. According to the Department of Health, healthcare facilities citywide are required to classify hazardous and non-hazardous medical waste and contract with an independent entity to collect, transport, and treat the waste.

Reports indicate that hundreds of tonnes of hazardous medical waste require treatment annually. Healthcare facilities are not permitted to process medical waste independently but must transfer it to licensed entities. Each transfer of waste must be recorded in a designated logbook, and hazardous waste documentation must be used in accordance with legal requirements.

Non-hazardous solid waste is transferred to appropriate entities for transport and treatment under current regulations. To ensure proper collection and treatment of medical waste, the health sector regularly collaborates with the environmental sector to conduct training on classifying solid waste at its source. This reduces waste generation, optimises costs, and protects the environment.

Dr. Vo Thu Tung, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health, stated that in addition to training and awareness efforts, authorities are increasing inspections and requiring healthcare facilities to address shortcomings in their medical waste management. They are also assessing the state of medical wastewater treatment systems. In cases where facilities lack wastewater treatment systems or where systems are overloaded or degraded, reports and proposals for investment in new or upgraded systems must be submitted to ensure wastewater meets environmental standards before discharge.

Healthcare facilities have been directed to enhance management, monitoring, and operation of wastewater treatment systems, as well as solid waste treatment equipment, ensuring that treated medical waste meets safety standards. Plans, measures, and equipment for preventing and responding to environmental incidents caused by waste must be in place, as required by law.

Dr. Tung acknowledged that many challenges remain in medical waste management. The management of non-hazardous medical waste, particularly the regulation of recyclable products after sterilisation, is inconsistent across healthcare facilities due to a lack of guidance from environmental authorities. Moreover, funding for investment in medical waste treatment systems is insufficient, even though the need for constructing and upgrading such systems is immense, not to mention the ongoing costs of operation and maintenance.

“To improve this work, it is necessary to continue developing and refining legal documents on medical waste management, particularly regulations on the treatment of non-hazardous medical waste and guidelines for recycling waste after sterilisation. There should also be policies to encourage waste treatment facilities to invest in modern, environmentally friendly technology,” Dr. Tung concluded.

Reporting by PHAN CHUNG - Translating by TRUC VY