Doctors push for mercury ban in health care

A group of medical doctors and envi-health group Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia today push for the banning of mercury in health care and promise a vote for the presidentiable who can make this happen. more 

Envi-Health Group Calls for DoH Status Report on Mercury Phase-out

Davao City – Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) in a regional conference on mercury phase-out and proper health care waste management in Southern Mindanao today called on the Department of Health (DoH) to report on the status of the mercury phase-out agenda the latter presented almost a month ago.  more 

Mercury Phase-out, Ban Not To Be a Cause of Panic

In response to Department of Health’s (DoH) move to fast track mercury phase-out in the health care sector, environmental health group, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA) today tried to pacify the general public saying that mercury phase-out or ban must not be a cause of panic.  more 

Safe health care

Excerpt: "Now that El Niño and the power supply shortage that goes with it are upon us, the government is left with no option but to idle some hydro-electric power plants and switch to coal-fired and bunker fuel-run generating facilities."  more 

Rizal starts phasing out mercury-laden devices

Excerpt: "Antipolo City — Public hospitals managed by the Rizal provincial government are set to gradually phase out medical devices containing mercury within the next few weeks as the purchase of non-mercurial thermometers and sphygmomanometers are under way."  more 

DOH Wants Import Ban on Products with Mercury

Excerpt: "Manila, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) may recommend to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) the banning on the importation of mercury-containing products in the country."  more 

GGHC's Health Care Waste Assessment Interview Guide

This 28-page Guide includes Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 instruments, with interview guides, checklists, and questionnaires. The primary purpose of these tools are to help make a preliminary assessment of the waste systems in the facility. The goal is to gather information that can make the later stages as comprehensive, time-efficient and non-intensive as possible. more 

Healthy Hospitals, Healthy Planet, Healthy People: Addressing Climate Change in Health Care Settings

(Discussion Draft) This 32-page discussion draft produced by the World Health Organization and Health Care Without Harm says that the healthcare sector can lead the way against climate change. This report shows how the health sector can improve reduce its climate footprint while setting forth a number of opportunties for action for health care professionals, hospitals, health systems, ministries of health and intergovernmental negotiations. more 

Resilient Flooring and Chemical Hazards: A Comparative Analysis of Vinyl and Other Alternatives for Health Care

As currently produced, no resilient flooring option commonly used in health care is perfectly hazard free. The material types vary considerably in the amount, extent, and exposure to PBTs and other chemicals of concern that are involved in each material's life cycle and in the potential for future improvement. There are many opportunities for specifiers and purchasers to encourage manufacturers to reduce or eliminate the use and production of PBTs and chemicals of High Concern, primarily in the linoleum and polyolefin alternatives. With encouragement from the marketplace, some resilient flooring manufacturers can readily reformulate their products to virtually eliminate the PBTs and CMRs from manufacture, use and disposal. more