Health-care waste storage within the premises of healthcare facilities in Vietnam

What is implementation of health-care waste storage within the premises of healthcare facilities in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 8 of Circular 20/2021/TT-BYT, health-care waste storage within the premises of healthcare facilities as follows:

1. The waste storage area within the premises of a healthcare facility shall meet the following requirements:

a) Hospitals and healthcare facilities that treat health-care waste according to the cluster model shall ensure their waste storage area meet the technical requirements prescribed in Section A Appendix 3 promulgated with this Circular;

b) Healthcare facilities that are not entities prescribed in Point a of this Clause shall store their health-care waste according to technical requirements prescribed in Section B Appendix 3 promulgated with this Circular.

2. Each type of waste shall be stored separately at the temporary waste storage area within the premises of a healthcare facility unless these wastes share the same properties, do not react with each other, and are treated with the same method.

3. Infectious waste storage time:

a) The time of storage shall not exceed 2 days under normal conditions for infectious wastes generated at a healthcare facility. In case the infectious wastes are stored in cold storage equipment at temperatures below 8°C, the storage time shall not exceed 7 days;

b) Infectious wastes transferred from other healthcare facilities for treatment in a cluster model or centralized treatment shall be treated within the day. If the infectious wastes are not treated within the day, store at temperatures below 20°C. The storage time shall not exceed 2 days.

c) The time of storage shall not exceed 3 days under normal conditions for healthcare facilities that generate less than 5 kg of infectious wastes per day. The infectious wastes shall be stored in sealed packaging or in storage tools with a sealed lid.

4. Non-infectious hazardous waste storage time: the storage time shall not exceed 1 year from the date the waste is generated. In case the storage time exceeds 1 year due to unavailability of a waste transport and treatment plan or an appropriate hazardous waste treatment facility, the healthcare facility shall report that in a separate writing or in combination with the annual report on health-care waste management to competent agencies prescribed in Article 13 of this Circular; or to other competent agencies in accordance with the law.

5. Infectious sharps shall be safely stored in concrete tanks within the premises of the healthcare facility after they are sterilized for healthcare facilities that are in remote, mountainous areas or on islands without any appropriate treatment method. The waste storage area must have warning signs.

Best Regards!