Discussing the updates on the PDA Interim Guidelines on Infection Prevention for CoVid-19 Pandemic (Part 9)
We continue this week with additional guidelines on the proper infection control in dental clinics.
It is expected that proprietors/owners of dental clinics need to observe the directives and protocols of the government.
This corner is listing some of the directives, orders, memorandums and even laws, related to the operation of health care facilities such as dental clinics. We will list some of the lawful orders for the regulation of health care installation operation on this column and in succeeding editions of this corner.
We shall start with some of the government directives as presented to dental office owners by the Philippine Dental Association (PDA).
One of the directives the owners of dental clinics must observe is the Department of Health (DOH) Department Memorandum (DM) 2020-0157, which are the guidelines in cleaning and disinfection in various health care instammations as infection prevention and control measures against COVID-19.
In the guidelines, the owners of dental clinics are obliged to use sodium hypochlorite solution for the disinfection of surfaces located in dental clinics and other health care offices, and the proper disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE) and similar health care wastes.
Also, the dental clinic owners are also encouraged to use other types of disinfectant such as ammonium chloride, phenols, and hydrogen peroxide,
The dental professionals should wear the appropriate PPE’s while working on the disinfection of health care waste.
Moreover, dental clinic personnel should observe proper hand hygiene as a measure to prevent the spread of the virus.
Another directive that dental offices should be aware about is the DOH DM 2020-0157 known as the interim guideline on the management of health care waste in health facilities community quarantine units, and temporary treatment and monitoring facilities with cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The dental clinic owners are obliged to categorize all wastes of suspect, probable and confirmed COVID-19 patients. Moreover, the waste are ategorized as infectious waste.
The personnel of the health care installation involved in the disposal of waste need to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). The PPE must be used, at all times, in the disposal of known infectious wastes.
Meanwhile, regarding the storage of infectious waste, health care personnel must follow rules on safe retention of the waste, until the waste is treated or collected, by the proper waste collection agency. The retention time of the waste is 48 hours during the cold season while waste retention is only 24 hours during the hot season.
Another directive the dental clinic proprietors should be aware about is the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Memorandum Circular (MC) 2020-15, which is the addendum to the interim guideline on issuance of special permit to transport for the transportation of hazardous wastes within the community quarantine period.
The circular provides the mechanism on the granting of permit to waste treaters to continue collection of infectious wastes.
Furthermore, the joint Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-DOH Administrative Order 2005-02 is another directive that dental clinic owners should be aware about.
The administrative order outlines the policies and guidelines on the effective and proper handling, collection, transport, treatment, storage and disposal of health care wastes.
The administrative order also defines the jurisdiction, authority and responsibilities of the DENR and DOH when it comes to health care waste management.
The same administrative order provides the guidelines on the right handling, and collection, together with the proper transport, treatment, storage and eventual disposal of waste generated in a health care setting.
The administrative order is applicable to all generators of health care waste.
The dental health office operators need to be aware about DOH Administrative Order (AO) 2007-0014, which points out the guidelines on the issuance of certificate of product registration for equipment or devices used or treating sharps, pathological and infectious waste.
The AO addresses the generators of health care waste should apply for Certificate of Product Registration (CPR).
There are other government regulations and laws that dental clinic owners need to observe.
We will continue with the discussion on the directives that the government has issued in respect to the control infection at this time of the pandemic, in next issue’s column.