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- Pasay City, Metro ManilaAnother prime mover in mercury phase-out, San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation Inc Hospital’s move is guided by its core value on social commitment.Initiated by the top management of the hospital and further intensified by the symposium conducted by Health Care Without Harm, the hospital gradually replaced mercury-containing devices with digital, analog type, and alcohol based from 2006 to 2007.  Although the move was faced with funding problems, negative response from patients, and issues on disposal of mercury devices, the cost-effectiveness of mercury devices as against the cost of spill clean-up became the major justification.AO 21 was welcomed by the management as an avenue to improve on the compliance to ISO 14007 and OHSAS 18001.  The hospital is currently involved in waste segregation, recycling and composting, and moving away from harmful chemicals towards safer alternatives.  Other environmental health initiatives lined-up within...

- Manila City, Metro ManilaThe following are the factors that moved San Lazaro Hospital to opt for safer alternatives to mercury devices: the ever-determined and persistent Engr. Aida Calma, the 1st Southeast Asia Conference on Mercury in Health Care, and reading materials such as Guide to Alternatives for Health Care and the Global Movement for Mercury-Free Healthcare.Prior to implementation of AO 21, hospital personnel were already aware of the effects of mercury on health and the environment so there was no resistance on their part giving way to smooth implementation of the order.Although funding and disposal of mercury devices were issues faced by the hospitals, prioritization of the requirements, support from the Department of Health (DoH), and identification of temporary storage for mercury devices made it easier for the hospital.Patient safety remains top consideration for mercury-free San Lazaro Hospital.  Thus explains why the hospital is also...

- Baguio City, BenguetGiven the ill-effects of mercury as presented by AO 21 and the seminar conducted by Health Care Without Harm, the administration of the ST. Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart without delay gave the go-signal to replace all mercury-containing devices.Fully aware that SLU President J. Hechanova is for a Clean-Green-Healthy Environment, AO 21 was welcomed by SLU-HSH.  Right away, arrangements were made by the SLU officials to extend the mercury phase-out to the university especially those that involved mercury in laboratory classes.A major issue for the hospital is the disposal of mercurial devices.  But in compliance with AO 21, the hospital provided a special storage area following all the necessary precautionary measures.Concern for the environment remains the guiding principle for the shift to mercury-free devices.  “As a health care provider, it is our responsibility to take care of our environment which will...

- San Juan City, Metro ManilaThe Administration department of St. Martin De Porres Charity Hospital started the move towards mercury-free alternatives. Although the move was initially faced with issues of funding and affordability of non-mercurial devices, the hospital secured donations from their benefactors.Patient safety and concern for the environment are two main reasons that kept pushing the hospital to go mercury-free.In a few years time, the hospital wishes that all the other requirements for environment-friendly hospital will be met, on top of already being 100% mercury-free.

- Dasmarinas, CaviteSt. Arcelita Sarnillo, SPC, the same person who initiated the shift to mercury-free alternatives in General Santos Doctors’ Hospital and Sr. Evelyn Aguilar, SPC, were the firsts to initiate mercury phase-out in St. Paul Hospital Cavite.  Initially, two containers for mercury-containing devices were provided for storage and then the phase-out began.Accuracy of non-mercurial devices was at first considered a major hindrance.  This was, however, solved after attending several lectured and seminars on the use of mercury-free devices.Fast moving now to other environmental health initiatives, SPHC is also involved in waste segregation, recycling and composting, non-use of PVC, replacing harmful chemicals with safer alternatives, healthy food, and green building.  Their advice to other hospitals, “we need to act now to protect the environment which is essential for a healthy community and for the welfare of the hospital staff and patient”.In a few years, SPHC aims...

Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH) is proud to announce the launch of Hippocrates Data Center…

- Tuguegarao City, CagayanThe move to mercury-free St. Paul Hospital Tuguegarao started when they attended the seminar conducted by Health Care Without Harm.  After the seminar, Sr. Jessica Formacion, then the Housekeeping Supervisor, gave a feedback on what transpired in the seminar.  The hospital knew they were ready to go mercury-free.Two main hindrances to the shift to alternatives are affordability and issue of disposal of the mercury devices.  Although the hospital was able to purchase non-mercurial devices, the issues of durability and price remain unresolved, along with disposal problem.However, they believe that if the hospital is to focus their efforts to patient safety and occupational safety, changing to non-mercurial devices would not be difficult.Other environmental health initiatives of the hospital are waste segregation, recycling and composting, and use of safer chemicals.  With these initiatives, St. Paul Hospital Tuguegarao envisions to be the leader in the region...

- General Santos City, South CotabatoThe only recipient of Do No Harm Award in Mindanao, General Santos Doctors Hospital is among the 1st hospitals in the country to have a mercury-out program as early as 2007. Sr. Arcelita Sarnillo initiated the program in relation to the Solid Waste Management Program of the hospital where Health Care Without Harm was invited to give a seminar on mercury alternatives. The seminar was well-attended by the hospital employees, other nearby hospitals and Local Government Units.AO 21 was an addition to the already motivated administration of GSDH to phase-out mercury. Patient safety, health workers safety and concern for the environment came in as primary reasons for the move.To date, GSDH has been a consistent model hospital for Region 12 with their health care waste management practices and alternative appropriate technology for the treatment of infectious wastes. They have initiatives in...

Health Care Without Harm Asia is pleased to announce the release of its 2016 Annual Report."The 2016…

- Baguio City, BenguetSeveral forums on environmental health attended by the staff of Notre Dame De Chartres Hospital moved the hospital to look at mercury alternatives. But it was the Administrator, Sr. Adelina B. Javellana, SPC, who initiated the shift to mercury-free devices.Although funding was a major issue for the 4-year old hospital whose mercurial devices are relatively new, they did the purchasing of mercury-free devices slowly until total phase-out was achieved. The value of AO 21 plus patient safety were given outmost importance.To date, The hospital is into other environmental health initiatives such as waste segregation, recycling and composting and veering away from harmful cleaners and process of moving away from medical devices that are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVCs) and planning and constructing a sewage treatment plant.The hospital envisions itself to be a health care facility that will not only be a environmental-friendly but...

- Quezon City, Metro ManilaThe Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC)- Health Emergency Management Staff (HEMS) Coordinator initiated the move to shift to mercury alternatives. They first conducted information and awareness lectures on the hazards of mercury and then stopped use and procurement of mercury thermometers and replaced it with safer alternatives in the Out-Patient Division, Emergency Room and wards. The Pediatric Dentistry, likewise, veered away from using amalgam for dental filling.The seminar conducted by Health Care Without Harm and AO 21 also helped in pushing for safer mercury alternatives.However, there were problems on funding, accuracy and disposal which were later solved by justifying the reasons for the shift to mercury alternatives and collecting information and studies on the accuracy of non-mercurial devices. Final disposal remains an issue.The main reason for the shift are the hazards and long-term complications posed by chronic mercury exposure to hospital personnel...

- Baguio City, BenguetGiven the ill-effects of mercury as presented by AO 21 and the seminar conducted by Health Care Without Harm, the administration of the ST. Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart without delay gave the go-signal to replace all mercury-containing devices.Fully aware that SLU President J. Hechanova is for a Clean-Green-Healthy Environment, AO 21 was welcomed by SLU-HSH.  Right away, arrangements were made by the SLU officials to extend the mercury phase-out to the university especially those that involved mercury in laboratory classes.A major issue for the hospital is the disposal of mercurial devices.  But in compliance with AO 21, the hospital provided a special storage area following all the necessary precautionary measures.Concern for the environment remains the guiding principle for the shift to mercury-free devices.  “As a health care provider, it is our responsibility to take care of our...