Healthcare waste in the Pacific region is increasing in volume as populations grow and medical services expand. Those exposed to healthcare waste are more at risk of injury and negative impacts, to protect workers and patients, training and education is an important part of effective healthcare waste management.
In the Solomon Islands, healthcare workers enhanced their capacity through a tailored training programme, increasing their confidence in implementing safe healthcare waste management systems ahead of the opening of the new Naha Birthing and Urban Health Centre (BUHC).
The Naha BUHC Healthcare Waste Management (HCWM) Training programme was delivered 18 – 22 May, through a partnership between the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services through the Honiara City Council (HCC) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Solomon Islands Infrastructure Program (SIIP).
Using SPREP’s regional European Union funded PacWastePlus train-the-trainer package, SPREP Hazardous Waste Management Adviser, Mr Soseala Tinilau said the package was tailored specifically to the needs of the Naha BUHC context, specifically on birthing and urban health.
“We focused on the fundamentals for healthcare workers, waste segregation, colour coding, infection control, personal protective equipment, sharps management, and spill response.”
Using this knowledge as a foundation, participants then shifted to the actual facility for practical, on-site training, internal transport, storage, placental and pathological waste protocols, treatment and disposal pathways, site walkthroughs, and monitoring.
“Conducting training activities inside the new Naha BUHC facility allowed staff to practice waste flows, bin placement, storage, and spill response in their actual future workspace. This on-site approach significantly improves readiness and long-term system retention”, said Mr Tinilau.
Twenty two staff undertook the training programme, with participants ranging from clinical staff cleaners, Infection and Prevention Control focal points from Naha BUHC and other HCC clinics, environmental health officers, and HCC management.
Ms Charlene Macleod, SIIP Health Advisor highlighted the strong engagement of healthcare practitioners in the training programme as a testament of national commitment to enhancing healthcare waste management in the Solomon Islands.
In ensuring sustainability of the capacity building initiative, a facility specific Healthcare Waste Management Plan Template was developed for the BUHC, as well Standard Operating Procedures for segregation, storage, spill response, needlestick injuries.
The training programme has equipped a cohort Infection Prevention and Control and operations focal persons, who will pass on their knowledge to others through a training-of-trainers approach.
HCC Provincial Health Director Dr. Lawrence Diau presented certificates to the participants and thanked SPREP for the high-quality standard of the training. He also noted participants were eager to apply learnings not only at Naha BUHC but across all HCC facilities.
The successful delivery of the Naha BUHC Healthcare Waste Management (HCWM) Training programme represents a new chapter of national commitment to sound healthcare waste management in the Solomon Islands supported by strong partnerships.