News - Nov 8, 2024 Healthcare Waste Management training now being rolled out to the Region

A critical series of Healthcare Waste Management training is being rolled out across the Pacific region to protect Pacific communities against the harm such waste causes.

The PacWastePlus Project has engaged Mike Ritchie & Associates to roll out the training, with the course being delivered to all countries that responded positively to the recent expression of interest to receive Capacity Building training on various waste streams.

The training will deliver a ‘train-the-trainer’ course so the participants, largely hospital staff or representatives from the Ministry of Health, will be able to take what they learn, as well as the documentation, and deliver the training to their colleagues.

“Healthcare waste – also called hospital, clinical or medical waste – is the range of waste generated by hospitals and health clinics and contains some hazardous waste requiring specific treatment,” said Mr Ritchie.

“Healthcare waste is hazardous because it has the potential to be infectious to humans, or cause injury, and may contaminate the environment; therefore, proper treatment and disposal is needed to protect people and our natural surroundings.”

The training is made up of a series of training modules on good practices in health-care waste management covering all aspects of waste management activities from identification and classification of wastes to considerations guiding their safe disposal using both non-incineration or incineration strategies.

Mr Ritchie is currently undertaking a tour of the region delivering the training between now and late December. The training will be delivered in the Federated States of Micronesia (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei & Kosrae), Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

In addition, Mr. Bomai Kobil, of Pacific Waste to Energy Industry Limited, is delivering dedicated training courses to 15 of the 22 Public Health Authorities in Papua New Guinea.