Healthcare Waste Report - Environment Health

INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS
Institutions governing infectious waste
management in Thailand adopt both
compulsory and voluntary approach.
Compulsory approach is administered by the
MoPH, Public Health Committee and the
Local authorities. Hospitals under the MoPH
are to conduct their activities based on the
ministry’s policy, which mentions that
healthcare facilities are to manage healthcare
waste properly at source and are to comply
with all regulations.
Private healthcare facilities need to comply
with the Healthcare Facility Act 1998, through
a permit system in which solid waste
management is one of the criteria set for
license. The Department of Medical Service
under MoPH and the Healthcare Facility
Committee takes care of the permit system.
In the voluntary approach, each healthcare
facility is to manage their waste based on the
criteria set by specific systems, such as hospital
accreditation system. The Institute of Hospital
Quality Improvement and Accreditation, sets
up criteria for evaluation and assesses hospital
accreditation. One of the criteria set for
evaluation is that the management of
healthcare waste shall comply with all
regulations. To encourage voluntary approach,
the MoPH encourages hospitals to apply for
accreditation.
CHAPTER 3_COUNTRY ANALYSIS
At the national level, MoPH is primarily
responsible for healthcare waste. It develops
the Public Health Ministerial Policy on
Infectious Waste Management. The DoH
under the MoPH is responsible for legislations
like Public Health Act, Ministerial Rule on
Infectious Waste Management. The Ministry
of Natural Resources and the Environment
(MoNRE) and MoH develop the National
Environmental Management Plan (NEMAP).
The Department of Public Hygiene, of
MoPH oversees the disposal of hospital wastes
from hospitals under the Ministry’s jurisdiction
and develops / procures required facilities.
Technical matters on hospital waste
management are dealt by the Pollution
Control Department (PCD), DoH and the
BMA. Every institution carries out its own
functions independently. The Pollution
Control Department oversees the performance
of all related waste management facilities. The
BMA has considerable autonomy and is
empowered to manage all kinds of waste
through the Division of Public Cleansing
Services (DPCS).
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THAILAND