Environmental protection in medical facilities

Limit

In previous years, Hai Duong General Hospital has been repeatedly fined by the authorities for environmental violations due to discharging waste into the environment beyond the permitted standards. The main reason is that the technology of the hospital's wastewater treatment plant, approved since 2008, is outdated and no longer suitable to meet current standards. In addition, the initial design of the wastewater treatment plant only accommodated 500 beds as planned. Meanwhile, the actual number of beds at the Provincial General Hospital is more than twice as high as the original design. Therefore, the total nitrogen and NH4+-N content is very high, making it difficult to completely treat it below the prescribed threshold without applying new, more modern technology.

In May 2022, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Luu Van Ban, signed a decision to administratively fine Thanh Mien District Medical Center VND 210 million for discharging wastewater with pH parameters outside the permitted technical standards. At the same time, he requested Thanh Mien District Medical Center to review and renovate the wastewater treatment facility to meet technical requirements on environmental protection according to regulations.

Mr. Truong Mau Nghiem, Director of Thanh Mien District Medical Center, said that the wastewater treatment system of the District Medical Center is old because it was built a long time ago, with a designed capacity of only 50 m3/day and night. Currently, due to the sharp increase in the number of patients coming for examination and treatment, the center has an average of more than 300 patients coming for examination and treatment every day. The actual number of beds is 240, much higher than the assigned target (190 beds), leading to a sharp increase in the amount of wastewater discharged. The old capacity and treatment technology cannot meet actual requirements.

Multiple solutions

Currently, Hai Duong Children's Hospital, along with Tu Ky District Medical Center and Kinh Mon Town, are three medical facilities that have invested in a medical solid waste treatment system using high-temperature saturated steam sterilization technology combined with crushing and cutting from a loan from the World Bank. Hazardous waste treatment at these units follows a three-step process including waste collection and classification; waste sterilization and waste crushing.

To overcome environmental limitations, the Provincial General Hospital has implemented many solutions such as consulting with experts to find suitable treatment solutions, repairing wastewater treatment plants, adding wastewater treatment chemicals... To ensure the treatment capacity of the wastewater treatment plant and ensure the quality of wastewater when discharged into the environment, the hospital has worked with and received approval from Hai Duong Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital to support wastewater treatment.

After being fined for environmental violations, Thanh Mien District Medical Center reviewed the entire wastewater treatment process, adding biological sludge and chlorine to the wastewater. In the long term, the center hired a consulting unit to survey, estimate and propose investment and upgrade a number of projects, including upgrading the wastewater treatment system from 50 m3/day and night to 250 m3/day and night. The project has been integrated into the investment project to build new, renovate, upgrade and purchase equipment for 12 district-level medical centers and the Provincial People's Committee approved the feasibility study report in August 2023. It is expected that the project will start construction in the fourth quarter of 2023.

With the measures implemented, in April 2023, the Department of Construction approved the acceptance results of Hai Duong General Hospital for the project to repair and renovate the hospital's wastewater treatment plant. According to Mr. Le Quang Duc, Deputy Director of the Provincial General Hospital, after the repair, replacement and maintenance process, the machinery and equipment system of the wastewater treatment plant is now operating normally. Currently, the hospital's wastewater treatment plant is in the trial operation phase, and is expected to complete the trial operation phase by the end of September 2023 to evaluate and put it into official operation.

According to the Hai Duong Department of Health, there are currently more than 880 medical facilities in the province. Medical waste management in the province has had many positive changes in recent times. The classification, storage and treatment of waste at medical facilities currently basically meets the requirements of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Health. Hazardous and common medical waste has been classified and managed at the place of origin and time of origin. Each type of hazardous medical waste has been stored and classified in packaging, storage equipment and tools according to regulations. Medical waste generated at medical facilities is classified, collected and stored in covered containers, placed in departments and rooms of the unit, then transferred to waste storage warehouses with signs and signed contracts by the units to transfer treatment to units with the function of handling hazardous medical waste, transported by specialized vehicles.