Quyết định 2038/QD-TTg

DECISION

APPROVING THE MASTER PLAN ON MEDICAL WASTE TREATMENT FOR THE 2011-2015 PERIOD, WITH ORIENTATIONS TOWARD 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the November 29, 2005 Law on Environmental Protection;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister's Decision No.256/2003/QD-TTg of December 2, 2003, approving the national strategy for environmental protection through 2010 with orientations toward 2020;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister's Decision No.153/2006/QD-TTg of June 30, 2006, approving the master plan for development of Vietnam's health system in the period through 2010, with a vision toward 2020;

At the proposal of the Minister of Health,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the master plan on medical waste treatment for the 2011-2015 period with orientations toward 2020, with the following principal contents:

1. General objectives

To treat elements which are harmful to human health and the environment of wastes generated at medical establishments for the protection of the health of health workers, patients and the community.

2. Specific objectives for 2015

a/ For wastewater:

- 100% of central-level medical establishments, 70% of provincial-level medical establishments, 50% of district-level medical establishments and 100% of private medical establishments will treat wastewater up to national environmental standards and technical regulations, of which 100% seriously polluting medical establishments will treat wastewater up to national environmental standards and technical regulations by 2012;

- 30% of remaining provincial-level medical establishments, 50% of remaining district-level medical establishments and 100% of health stations will preliminarily treat their hazardous wastewater before discharging it into the environment.

b/ For solid wastes:

- 100% of central- and provincial-level medical establishments, 70% of district-level medical establishments and 100% of private medical establishments will treat solid wastes up to national environmental standards and technical regulations, of which 100% of seriously polluting medical establishments will treat solid wastes up to national environmental standards and technical regulations by 2012;

- 30% of remaining district-level medical establishments and 100% of health stations will preliminarily treat their solid wastes before discharge them into the environment.

c/ For exhaust gases:

100% of medical establishments with hazardous gases will treat them up to national environmental standards and technical regulations.

3. Orientations toward 2020

100% of medical establishments from the central to local levels will treat solid wastes up to national environmental standards and technical regulations.

4. Tasks in the 2011-2015 period

a/ To invest in the construction of medical waste treatment systems with a view to substantially redressing environmental pollution at central and local medical establishments, concretely:

- For seriously polluting establishments under Decision No.64/2003/QD-TTg which have not yet absolutely handled environmental pollution, urgent measures must be immediately taken to treat medical wastewater, solid wastes and exhaust gases in order to completely redress environmental pollution before December 31, 2012;

- For medical establishments with operating medical waste treatment systems which are, however, downgraded or overloaded, plans must be worked out to upgrade and improve these systems to treat medical wastewater, solid wastes and exhaust gases up to environmental standards;

- For medical establishments with constructed physical foundations but without medical waste treatment systems, investment projects must be formulated to construct these systems to treat medical wastewater, solid wastes and exhaust gases up to environmental standards;

- For medical establishments to be built, during the construction of their physical foundations, the assessment of environmental impacts and the process of appraising the construction of facilities for treating medical wastewater, solid wastes and exhaust gases must be seriously implemented;

- Operation licenses shall not be granted to medical establishments to commence operation without systems to treat medical wastewater, solid wastes and exhaust gases up to environmental standards provided by law.

b/ To enhance capabilities for environmental pollution observation and assessment at medical establishments, which will serve as bases for elaborating plans for incremental redressing of environmental pollution at medical establishments.

c/ To conduct scientific research into medical waste treatment:

- Research, experimentation, application and transfer of medical waste treatment technologies suitable to various types of medical establishments, conformable with national standards and technical regulations and environment-friendly;

- Research into solutions for minimizing and recycling generated medical wastes;

- Research into and assessment of impacts of medical wastes on the environment and human health.

d/ To formulate and submit to competent authorities for approval the following projects and schemes:

- Investment project to construct waste treatment systems for public medical' establishments up to environmental standards;

- Scheme on a master plan on hazardous medical solid waste treatment systems;

- Project on capacity building for the health sector's agencies in charge of environment observation and assessment of environmental impacts on human health;

- Scientific research scheme aiming at intensifying the application and transfer of advanced and environment-friendly medical waste treatment technologies suitable to the country's socio-economic development conditions.

5. Implementation solutions

a/ Regarding organization of management, mechanisms and policies:

- To step up the screening, revision and supplementation of mechanisms, policies, and legal documents on medical waste management, focusing on the development of national standards and regulations and techno-economic norms in medical waste management and treatment, technical instructions and socialization mechanisms, with a view to attracting and increasing investment in medical waste management;

- To consolidate the organizational system, functions and tasks of central and local medical environment management units;

- To incorporate the tasks of medical waste management into sectoral development and local socio-economic development strategies and master plans.

b/ Regarding investment and finance:

- Funding sources for implementation of the master plan, including:

+ The state budget (including ODA capital) under current state budget management decentralization; government bond funds (for investment projects funded with government bonds);

+ The State's preferential credit capital under current regulations;

+ Own capital of units: Collected hospital fees and other lawful revenues;

+ Investment capital of organizations and individuals in the form of socialization: direct or Build-Operation-Transfer investment in medical waste treatment projects;

+ Other lawful funding sources.

- Investment funding responsibility and scope:

+ Investment fund for medical waste treatment systems:

For public medical establishments: The State will allocate funds for the construction of medical waste treatment systems through specific projects and schemes of on-site treatment, complex-based treatment or concentrated treatment, depending on technological scale and practical conditions. Funds invested in seriously polluting medical establishments comply with the Prime Minister's Decision No.58/2008/QD-TTg of April 29,2008, and Decision No.38/2011/QD-TTg of July 5, 2011.

For non-public medical establishments, establishment owners shall allocate funds for the construction, renovation or upgrading of their systems for treating medical wastewater, solid wastes and exhaust gases up to environmental standards under current laws.

The State will adopt policies to encourage the socialization of investment in the construction of centralized medical solid waste treatment systems.

+ Funds for the formulation of policies and regulations, observation, assessment of environmental pollution levels, training and scientific research related to medical environment management will be allocated by the State on the basis of tasks, projects and non-business funding sources of related units.

c/ Scientific and technological solutions:

To study and select medical waste treatment technologies which are new, environment-friendly, based on the volume and composition of generated wastes and construction ground conditions, and suitable to the financial capabilities of medical establishments, and conformable with national environmental standards, concretely:

+ Treatment of wastewater: To collect and treat wastewater on site. Centralized wastewater treatment can be carried out for medical establishments built in a complex or adjacent blocks;

+ Treatment of solid wastes: For big cities or urban centers, centralized treatment will be prioritized. For medical establishments located in close distance, complex-based treatment can be implemented. For medical establishments lacking the conditions to transport medical solid wastes to centralized or complex-based treatment facilities, on-site treatment can be implemented;

+ Treatment of exhaust gases: To be implemented on site.

- To apply information technology to the management of data on medical wastes;

- To intensify research into the application of new technologies with a view to minimizing and recycling generated medical wastes;

- To develop instructions on, and conduct the assessment of medical wastes' impacts on the environment and human health;

- To closely link scientific research and technological development activities of research institutes, universities and medical establishments.

d/ International cooperation:

To intensify the formulation and implementation of programs and projects on cooperation with other countries and international organizations, aiming to learn and exchange experiences, conduct scientific research, apply and transfer technologies and train human resources for performing the tasks of medical waste management.

e/ Information, education and communication:

- To develop training and retraining programs and materials and train and retrain health workers in medical waste management;

- To intensify and diversify forms of communication with a view to raising the awareness of authorities at all levels, various sectors, organizations as well as health workers, patients and their relatives and the community about medical waste management.

6. Fund for implementation of the master plan The fund for implementation of the master plan on medical waste treatment in the 2011-2015 period shall be determined based on the approved projects and schemes stated at Point d, Clause 4, Article 1 of this Decision.

Article 2. Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Health shall:

a/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries, sectors and provincial-level People's Committees in, effectively implementing the contents and tasks of the master plan according to schedule;

b/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment in allocating state budget funds for the implementation of the master plan;

c/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors in, working out mechanisms, policies, national standards and technical regulations, and legal documents on medical waste management;

d/ Plan and organize waste treatment at medical establishments under its management;

e/ Guide localities in implementing the master plan according to set schedule and current regulations;

f/ Annually organize the inspection and assessment of results of implementation of the master plan, and make summarization reports to the Prime Minister.

2. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall arrange investment funds from the state budget and other lawful sources for implementation of the master plan.

3. The Ministry of Finance shall:

a/ Balance annual state budget funds for implementation of the master plan in accordance with the State Budget Law and guiding documents;

b/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors in, guiding the financial management mechanisms applicable to projects under the master plan;

c/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Planning and Investment in inspecting the financial supervision in the course of implementing the master plan.

4. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall:

a/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Health and related ministries and sectors in, supplementing and finalizing national standards and technical regulations on health environment;

b/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Health in organizing the implementation of relevant contents and tasks in the master plan.

5. The Ministry of Construction shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors in, formulating and submitting to the Prime Minister for approval a master plan on the medical waste treatment system.

6. The Ministry of Science and Technology shall:

a/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Health and related ministries and sectors in, studying the application and formulation of medical waste treatment models and technologies which are environment-friendly and suitable to conditions of medical establishments;

b/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Health and related ministries and sectors in formulating national standards and technical regulations on health environment.

7. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Health and provincial-level People's Committees in, consolidating the organization, functions and tasks of medical waste management units from the central to local level.

8. Provincial-level People's Committees shall:

a/ Direct and organize the treatment of medical wastes in their localities;

b/ Prioritize the allocation of sufficient budget funds for medical establishments in their localities for medical waste treatment;

c/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related units in periodically inspecting the quality of the environment in their localities where medical establishments are located.

9. Related ministries, sectors and provincial- level People's Committees shall coordinate with the Ministry of Health in directing and organizing the treatment of medical wastes falling under their respective management and the implementation of assigned projects in the Appendix to this Decision.

Article 3. Effect

This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4. Implementation responsibility

Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies and chairpersons of provincial-level People's Committees shall implement this Decision.-

APPENDIX

LIST OF PRIORITY PROJECTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MASTER PLAN ON MEDICAL WASTE TREATMENT IN THE 2011-2015 PERIOD, WITH ORIENTATIONS TOWARD 2020
(Promulgated together with the Prime Minister's Decision No.2038/QD-TTg of November 15, 2011)