Sixteen RP Hospitals to Receive First Do No Harm Award for Mercury Phase-out in Southeast Asia

Manila — International environmental health group, Health Care Without Harm-Southeast Asia (HCWH-SEA), recognizes 16 hospitals around the Philippines for their compliance to the Department of Health's Administrative Order 21 on the gradual phase-out of all mercury-containing devices in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions by 2010.

Of the total 1,847 hospitals in the country, 15 from Luzon and one from Mindanao will be awarded the 1st ever Do No Harm Award.

"These hospitals recognized that mercury in health care is a threat not only to the patients and the environment but also to the workers and they have willingly initiated a phase-out program, some even before AO 21," said Faye Ferrer, HCWH-SEA Program Officer for Mercury.

The awardees are:

• Florencio V. Bernabe Sr. Memorial Hospital (Paranaque City)
• General Santos Doctors' Hospital (General Santos City)
• Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center (Las Piñas City)
• Makati Medical Center (Makati City)
• Manila Adventist Medical Center (Pasay City)
• Medical Center Paranaque, Inc. (Paranaque City)
• Notre Dame De Chartres Hospital (Baguio City)
• Philippine Children's Medical Center (Quezon City)
• Philippine Heart Center (Quezon City)
• Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (Muntinlupa City)
• San Juan De Dios Educational Foundation Inc. (Pasay City)
• San Lazaro Hospital (Manila)
• St. Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart (Baguio City)
• St. Martin De Porres Charity Hospital (San Juan City)
• St. Paul Hospital Cavite (Dasmarinas, Cavite)
• St. Paul Hospital Tuguegarao (Tuguegarao City)

While the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) have issued warnings on the dangers of mercury as early as 1990s, Philippines is the 1st Southeast Asian country and the 1st developing country to have a policy on mercury phase-out in hospitals.

"We want Philippine hospitals to lead the way towards movement to environmentally sound health care system across Asia. We want to inspire other hospitals through the success stories of these 16 hospitals," Ferrer added.

The Do No Harm Award seeks to recognize outstanding hospitals, health care workers, institutions and communities in the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries who are leading the way to a healthier environment. Through their stories, experiences and commitment to move to a healthier environment in the health care setting, others will be inspired to work towards a greener and safer health care.

"The first Do No Harm Award for mercury phase-out is just a start. In the future, we will recognize individuals and even communities who are moving towards safer, cleaner and less toxic health care system," said Ferrer.

"We are at a time when we can no longer separate health and environmental issues. Any toxic chemicals released in hospitals and other health care facilities will eventually find its way to the environment. If all hospitals will take on preventive measures, we will be doing our planet a big favour," Ferrer said.