Philippine E-Journals

Environmental Compliance of Hospitals in Lucena, Quezon Province, Philippines

Renato M. Vergara | Maria Elizabeth D. Oabel

 

Abstract:

This study utilized the descriptive and quantitative approach. The study was conducted in the different hospitals, specifically hospital that is owned by the government and those hospitals that are privately owned in Lucena City and the city of Tayabas, Pagbilao and Sariaya. The respondents were composed of all personnel involved in the implementation of hospital waste in their jurisdiction. The gathering of data in this study was conducted in two parts. The first part involved collection of general information about hospitals like ownership and form of management, type, services offered, and environmental compliance. The second part by filling of questionnaires to determine the practices exhibited by hospitals in terms of: solid waste segregation; waste water management; chemical waste regulation; biological waste supervision; and other hazardous waste control (pathological or infectious waste). Proper inventory of the waste and waste system were carried out to give information on how waste is collected, treated and disposed. Frequency counts and percentage was utilized to describe the nature of the hospitals involved in the study. The result of the study revealed that majority of the hospitals involved in the study are located in the City of Lucena, a private hospital, operate for profit purposes and classified as tertiary hospital. The hospitals included in the study offer general medicine, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, thoracic/TB clinic, radiology and dental services while only tertiary hospitals have the capacity and capability to offer special services such as oncology, pathology, dermatology, plastic surgery, psychiatry, intensive care unit (ICU), coronary care unit (CCU), orthopedics, cardiology, urology and nephrology and ophthalmology since they have doctors specialized in these fields. The hospitals complied with and secured the necessary environmental certificate for their operation. The waste management of the hospitals vary depending on the type of wastes being handled.