
Healthcare Waste Management training is now being rolled out to the Region. 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.
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. The training follows a “train the trainer” style delivery of applied learning, utilising a combination of PowerPoint presentations/classroom discussions, as well as ward walk-throughs to observe the waste system.
Mike Ritchie & Associates has been engaged to deliver the Healthcare Waste Management Training programme throughout the region, 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.
Mr. Mike Ritchie is delivering the training between October and late December 2024. The training will deliver a ‘train-the-trainer’ course so the attendees, 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.
Mr. Ritchie will travel to FSM (sessions in all 4 states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei & Kosrae), Fiji (Suva), Kiribati (Tarawa), Nauru (Yaren), Niue, Palau (Koror), RMI (Majuro), Samoa (Apia), Solomon Islands (Honiara), Tuvalu (Funafuti), and Vanuatu (Port Vila) delivering the training to up to 260 health care workers.
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, with the potential for an additional 300 healthcare works to participate in those capacity building opportunities.