Medical waste volume saw an increase in several times in Kyrgyzstan due to the coronavirus pandemic. In this regard, UNDP is leading an assessment and improvement of the public healthcare system through a rapid study of the environmental impact of waste generated from COVID-19 and trainings for healthcare workers across the country. 

On 4 April 2021, UNDP has held a training for medical specialists of the city of Cholpon Ata, Issyk Kul region, on medical waste management within the project "Supporting an Inclusive and Multi-sectoral Response to COVID-19 and Addressing its Socio-economic Impact in the Kyrgyz Republic" financed by the Government of Japan. 15 medical workers of the Issyk Kul District Hospital have attended the training. The goal of the training is to update the skillset of the medical personnel on healthcare waste management (HCWM) due to its dramatically increased volume during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program of the training is based on the knowledge about identification, sorting, labeling, packaging, internal transportation, decontamination, disposal and utilization of healthcare waste and other necessary activities in the daily work of healthcare specialists.

Eldiyar Seitkaziev, the UNDP Project coordinator shared the following:

“UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic conducted the monitoring and impact assessment to collect data on the current state of healthcare waste management. The project developed the assessment tools for the HCWM system in healthcare organizations and tools for sanitary and hygienic (environmental) assessment of settlements and solid waste landfills. Based on the findings, we train medical personnel on the standard operating procedures on medical waste management. In cooperation with the Association for Health Promotion the project developed training materials in addition to the assessment tests to gauge medical workers,’ attained knowledge of the HCWM system.”

More than 600 employees of 42 public healthcare facilities throughout the country have been participating in this training. This work is being implemented within the UNDP project "Supporting an Inclusive and Multi-Sectoral Response to COVID-19 and Addressing its Socio-Economic Impact in the Kyrgyz Republic" funded by the Government of Japan and aimed at comprehensive and human-centered measures to respond to COVID-19.

Photos from the training

Photo: Chyntemir Kalbaev / UNDP Kyrgyzstan