Performance of Covid-19 Waste Management at Health Service Facilities in North Toraja Regency

ABSTRACT

Community health centers are the frontliners of healthcare services which in its activities produces medical waste and non-medical waste both in solid and liquid form. This waste needs to be managed in accordance with existing regulations where environmental management must be carried out systematically and sustainably. Regarding the management of Covid-19 medical waste in the health facilities of North Toraja Regency, this study aims to determine the management process, management constraints and compare the management of wastewater and hazardous and toxic solid medical waste generated from handling Covid-19 patients at hospitals and health centers in Toraja Regency. North. The research method used is descriptive research method with case study design. Data collection techniques are carried out by observations, interviews, and documentation of secondary data. The results show that the management of hazardous and toxic solid medical waste water and waste for Covid-19 patients in private hospitals leaves the processing to third parties and government hospitals destroy solid hazardous medical waste with incinerators, while at community health center the wastewater is directly discharged into water bodies and medical hazardous waste. handed over to a third party. The process of treating waste water and hazardous and toxic solid medical waste for Covid-19 patients at the health facilities of North Toraja Regency has not been in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Indonesian Ministry of Health. The main obstacle in processing solid medical waste water and hazardous waste for Covid-19 patients at the health facilities of North Toraja Regency is the lacking of operational costs and delays in disbursing operational costs. Government-owned hospitals were found to be slow to comply the Covid-19 Health Facilities Waste Management Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia.