Signing a commitment to reduce plastic waste in the healthcare sector

Thanh Chung• August 16, 2019 11:01

(Baonghean.vn) - Medical facilities in the province have committed to the Director of the Department of Health to strictly implement solutions to reduce plastic waste generation.

On the morning of August 16, under the chairmanship of the MinisterNguyen Thi Kim Tien,The Ministry of Health organized an online conference to implement the reduction of plastic waste in the health sector. Attending the conference were Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha; representatives of ministries, branches, international organizations and 63 provincial and municipal connection points across the country.

At Nghe An bridge, the comrades of the Provincial Party Committee: Duong Dinh Chinh - Director of the Department of Health; Vo Duy Viet - Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment co-chaired. Attending were representatives of leaders of departments, branches, sectors and medical examination and treatment units in the province.

Điểm cầu Nghệ An tham dự hội nghị trực tuyến Bộ Y tế. Ảnh: Thành Chung
Nghe An bridge attended the online conference of the Ministry of Health. Photo: Thanh Chung
Implementing the Government's policies and solutions to control environmental pollution from plastic waste, on July 29, 2019, the Ministry of Health issued Directive 08/CT-BYT on reducing plastic waste in the health sector.

It clearly states: Plastic waste is negatively impacting the ecosystem, living environment, human health and sustainable development of each country every day. In the medical field, plastic waste is generated from daily activities; medical professional activities; research, production, trading of drugs, pharmaceutical ingredients, chemicals... Plastic materials used in these activities can be replaced by safer, more environmentally friendly materials.

Các đại biểu tham quan các gian hàng vật liệu thay thế nhựa. Ảnh: Thành Chung
Delegates visit booths of alternative plastic materials. Photo: Thanh Chung
Implementing Directive 08/CT-BYT, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien requested medical facilities, agencies, organizations, civil servants, public employees, and workers in the health sector to seriously implement the contents of the Directive.

Các đơn vị y tế trong tỉnh ký cam kết với Giám đốc Sở Y tế về giảm thiểu chất thải nhựa. Ảnh: Thành Chung
Medical units in the province signed a commitment with the Director of the Department of Health to reduce plastic waste. Photo: Thanh Chung
At the conference, representatives of leaders of ministries, departments, branches and provinces and cities gave comments and discussed solutions to reduce plastic waste in general.

For Nghe An, after this conference, the health sector will promote communication and mobilization of medical staff, service providers, patients and their families, thereby changing the behavior of using plastic waste; reviewing the status of plastic waste use in medical units, proposing measures to limit it; integrating criteria for reducing plastic waste into hospital evaluation criteria, the movement to build green - clean - beautiful medical units; in bidding, limiting the selection of disposable plastic products.

Also at the conference, leaders of the Ministry of Health signed a commitment with the directors of hospitals under the Ministry of Health. The director of the Nghe An Department of Health signed a commitment with the directors of hospitals under the Department of Health. The content of the commitment clearly stated: Medical units need to research and apply effective solutions to reduce plastic waste in the unit's operations; allocate sufficient resources to implement Directive No. 08/CT-BYT...

Thanh Chung