Dance For Toxics-Free Hospital

New Music Video Champions Sustainable Healthcare Waste Management

To mark Environmental Awareness Month, a new catchy, upbeat, and informative music video featuring mascot, Nurse Susie, was launched today in hospitals and across social media to promote the Toxics-Free Hospitals Campaign. Titled “Nurse Susie para sa Ospital na Toxics-Free,” the music video, produced by the Philippine Healthcare and Mercury Wastes Management Project (HCWM Project) aims to raise awareness on responsible healthcare waste management and encourage practices that protect human health and the environment.

EMB Director Michael Drake P. Matias stated, “Safeguarding public health must never come at the expense of our environment. Improper healthcare waste disposal and the open burning of plastics release dangerous persistent organic pollutants that threaten our communities and ecosystems.”

“Through our joint leadership in the HCWM Project, the EMB is driving systemic change. Initiatives like the ‘Nurse Susie’ campaign prove that environmental compliance, hazardous waste reduction, and sustainability can be seamlessly embedded into our healthcare system through creative public engagement and steadfast multi-sectoral collaboration,” Director Matias added.

The HCWM Project, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in partnership with the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), aims to strengthen healthcare waste management nationwide, with a special focus on reducing emissions of hazardous substances such as dioxins and furans and ensuring the safe and proper disposal of mercury. The project receives funding support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is being executed by the environmental NGO BAN Toxics.

The music video highlights the project’s Toxics-Free Hospitals Campaign’s 4Cs—Change Old Habits, Cut Plastics, Commit to Reuse, and Champion Sustainability—encouraging healthcare workers, hospital clients, and the general public to adopt practical measures such as proper waste segregation, reducing plastics, choosing reusable alternatives, and avoiding waste burning.

The dance video also features lively dance performances by personnel from the DENR-EMB Central Office and its Regional Offices, alongside healthcare workers from the project’s partner hospitals.

“Healthcare workers, hospital clients, and the general public all have an important role in promoting responsible healthcare waste management. Adopting sustainable practices, particularly reducing the use of single-use plastics and ensuring proper waste segregation, is essential in minimizing waste generated by healthcare facilities,” said Jam Lorenzo, HCWM Project Manager and BAN Toxics Deputy Executive Director.

“Improperly managed plastic waste can release harmful chemicals into the environment, while open burning can generate unintentional persistent organic pollutants (uPOPs), including toxic dioxins and furans, which pose risks to human health and the environment. Proper waste segregation at source is equally vital to prevent the mixing of hazardous and infectious waste with general waste, minimize cross-contamination risks, and reduce the volume of waste requiring specialized treatment, thereby lowering disposal costs and environmental impacts,” Lorenzo added.

The music video was released through the official social media platforms of the DENR-EMB and BAN Toxics.

All six HCWM Project partner hospitals participated in the simultaneous launch, demonstrating their commitment to promoting the campaign within their respective facilities. These include Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in Region 2, Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) in the National Capital Region, Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) in Region 8, Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) in Region 10, Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Region 11, and CARAGA Regional Hospital (CRH) in Region 13.

As part of the initiative, the partner hospitals incorporated the music video into the regular rotation of content shown on their facility television sets, providing healthcare workers, patients, and visitors with continued exposure to the campaign’s messages. NMMC organized a short program to formally introduce the video and disseminated copies to its hospital units. Meanwhile, EVMC and SPMC marked the launch with an educational session on healthcare waste identification and proper segregation, reinforcing the importance of responsible waste management practices.

Through the Nurse Susie music video, the HCWM Project seeks to turn awareness into action by making sustainable waste management practices more relatable and accessible.

“By putting the 4Cs into practice, hospitals can contribute to reducing healthcare waste, preventing toxic pollution, and creating cleaner, safer, and more sustainable healthcare environments for communities,” Lorenzo said.  ###

Scan the QR Code to watch the video or visit the link: https://bit.ly/48wRC3E