Job Title: Health Care Waste Management Officer
Department: Program
Location: Mbarara, Uganda
Reporting Relationships:
The Health Care Waste Management Officer reports to Health Systems Strength Manager
Job Summary
This person will be responsible for working to promote sustainable country/district-tailored health care waste management (HCWM) systems. S/he will work with the project, MOH, district and health facilities to identify and implement practical, affordable, and effective means of waste handling and final disposal for health care waste in accordance with WHO/MOH standards. S/he will oversee the implementation of the Environmental Management and Mitigation Plan (EMMP) under the USAID RHITES-SW project.
The Health Care Waste Management Officer will report directly to the HSS manager.
Responsibilities of the HCWM PO
Responsibilities under health care waste collection, storage, transportation and disposal
- Work with the Hospital Management Teams (HMTs) and District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) to develop and execute health care waste management plans for the health facilities
- Coordinates collection of waste and its transportation to the central waste storage facilities within the regions/districts
- Liaises with the districts/health facilities and provides support to ensure that appropriate ranges of bags and containers for health-care waste, protective clothing, and collection trolleys are available at all times.
- Ensures the correct use of the central storage facilities for health-care waste.
- Coordinates and monitors all waste disposal operations in the region
- Monitors methods of transportation of wastes both on- and off-site and ensure that waste collected from health facilities is transported by an appropriate vehicle to the designated treatment and disposal site.
- Ensures that waste is not stored for longer than specified in the guidelines and that the transport provider (which may be the local authority or a private contractor) collects the waste with the required frequency.
- Facilitate the formation and functionality of IPC/HCWM Committees at all level of service delivery
- Provide the lead in promoting the adoption and installation of appropriate HCWM systems including alternative non-burn technology and pooled systems.
- Engage in advocacy with District Health Teams and hospital/health unit management and other relevant stakeholders to increase awareness on the need to support budgeting for HCWM
- Work with AIDSFree Logistics Advisor and hospital management and District Environmental Officers to carry out needs assessments and document consumption data for HCWM equipment and supplies
- Work with focal persons at the health facility level to develop functional facility-based HCWM plans including SOPs to ensure facilities meet the minimum HCWM package.
- Work with Green Label to oversee the management of the centralized health care waste treatment/final disposal plant in Mbarara once underhanded over by AIDS Free.
- Document and disseminate HCWM best practices related to adoption of HCMW advancing standards, guidelines, and tools.
- Lead, facilitate and participate in HCWM training workshops and providing on-the-job training as needed.
- Participate in the MOH Technical Working Group and actively advocate for strengthening HCWM in the country.
- Stay informed with respect to waste management regulations and ensure regulations are being adhered to.
- Assist in budget preparation and administration, including determining financial methods, procedures, and costs pertaining to environmental compliance and waste management services.
Responsibilities under staff training
- Coordinates with MOH to develop and conduct relevant capacity building activities that will yield towards the translation into practice, of the national policy guidelines on HCWM
- Liaises with the district, health facility managers and the relevant managers at the country office to provide mentorships and ensure that health workers obtain necessary capacity building support to make them aware of their own responsibilities for segregation and storage of waste.
Responsibilities under incident management and control
- Provides technical assistance to districts and health facilities to ensure that written emergency procedures are available, that they are in place at all times, and that personnel are aware of the action to be taken in the event of an emergency;
- Investigates and reviews any reported incidents concerning the handling of health-care waste.
Responsibilities under M&E
Continuously monitors parameters related to HCWM including;
- Waste generated each month, by waste category in each district.
- Treatment and disposal methods in each district.
- Financial aspects of health-care waste management:
- Direct costs of supplies and materials used for collection, transport, storage, treatment, disposal, decontamination, and cleaning;
- Training costs
- Costs of operation and maintenance of on-site treatment facilities (Incinerators, Placenta pits)
- Costs for contractor services.
- Public health aspects:
- Incidents resulting in injury, needle stick injuries, failures in the handling, separation, storage, transport, or disposal system, which have to be reported.
Qualifications
- Degree in Microbiology or other relevant environmental health/engineering science field. Previous work experience with donor-funded programs.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills and interpersonal communications
- Ability to work with District Health Officers, health facility managers, District Environment Officers and Municipal waste management authorities
- Ability to work harmoniously as a member of a team
- Ability to lead effective trainings
- Very good knowledge of spoken and written English
- Proficient in spreadsheet and word processing and other software, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point.
More Information
- Job City Mbarara