Health Environment and Climate Action Foundation
Clean, Green, Healthy Environmental and Climate Resilient Communites
Since the very first evidence of the seriousness of Covid 19 and the looming threat of a global pandemic, HECAF 360 has worked closely with the Government of Nepal and particularly the Ministry of Health and Population to protect Nepali citizens from harm.
HECAf 360 Covid-19 interventions have spanned activities ranging from designing procedures to handle Covid-19 waste safely and conducting safety training workshops to fundraising and international donations coordination.
Here below is a chronological listing of HECAF 360's Covid 19 Response.
Navigate to specific projects from here:
1. A Hazardous Clean Up Assignment
By Special Request of
Ministry of Health and Population:
Airport bio-hazard clean-up
Sealed containers of potentially infectious waste collected from the aircraft
HECAF 360
uniquely qualified
to carry out
this assignment
Full PPE kit is now routine for HECAF360 crews
On 15 February 2020 the Government of Nepal sent a chartered Nepal Airlines flight to Wuhan China to evacuate Nepali citizens working in that virus hit city.
Wuhan of course was of course the epicentre of the original Covid-19 outbreak. Because of HECAF360’s experience handling hazardous biological waste the Government of Nepal asked HECAF to collect and manage the waste from the evacuation flight on its return to Kathmandu after all passengers had safely disembarked.
See below for the full report on this critically important and extremely hazardous clean-up project.
HECAF360 is also working closely with all its clients to help them decontaminate any potentially infected areas and to properly dispose of clean-up materials.
Ambulances standing by to evacuate any seriously ill passengers from the repatriation flight
The Full Report
Photo documentation and a written report of the extent of safety measures taken to protect clean-up crews and the extraordinary precautions taken in the disposal of potentially contaminated waste are detailed in a 37 page report available here or by clicking the image below.
Corona Virus Waste Management Procedures
International Recognition for hecaf360's inventive role in Covid-19 waste management
Health Care Without Harm is an international partner and key advisor to HECAF360's work with the environment and health care waste management. HCWH have recently posted an article about the waste management protocols developed by HECAF360 and HCWH concerning the evacuation of Nepali students and workers from Wuhan China in February 2020. These protocols are now the standard for decontaminating aircraft in Nepal. Read the article.
2. Ensuring Effective Water Sanitation and Hygiene
HECAF 360 has expanded the scope of its health care waste management work to assist the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population with the management of patients with COVID 19.
Working as a technical partner to GIZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH) and the World Health Organization Nepal, this collaboration has been working in support of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in several hub hospitals located within the Kathmandu Valley and in Chitwan of Bagmati Province.
The Government of Nepal is strengthening Critical Care Units in 12 selected hub hospitals which will serve as referral hospitals for stabilized infected patients with Covid–19.
Because of the high risk nature of the increased health care wate generated by these facilities, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is a crucial area that needs to be integrated with service delivery in emergency medicine.
The full report on methodology, assessment and results can be accessed in a PDF.
3. VSO Training
VSO is the world's leading independent international development organisation working through volunteers to empower communities in developing countries. VSO contacted HECAF360 in September 2020 in order to enhance knowledge, capacity and level of preparedness of the VSO staff and its partners to cope with the raging COVID 19 pandemic.
Two orientation sessions were held on 25th and 28th September 2020. The first was a virtual session via Zoom on Occupational Safety and Infection Prevention in the workplace and at home.
A second session, this one face to face on-site, focused on: occupational health and safety; basic hygiene and social distancing; effective cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation; and the procedures involved in the proper wearing and removal off the full Personal Protective Equipment kit. Myths regarding the transmission of COVID were also extensively discussed as was the use of disinfectants and hand sanitizers.
The management of COVID contaminated waste generated by a confirmed or suspected infected person was featured and the management of household waste – including mechanisms to properly dispose of used sanitary pads – was also addressed.
On site training sessions by HECAF360 staff
4. Negotiating Life Saving International Aid
hecaf360 secures major life saving assistance
Hecaf360's executive director Mahesh Nakarmi arranged the delivery of over 100 tons of medical equipment for handover to the Ministry of Health and Population. Click the play button above for a 60 second preview or click here to see details .
HECAF 360 partner with Government of Nepal in Covid -19 fight
First official hand over outside the Ministry of Health and Population
Ventilators and PPE
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Mahesh Nakarmi, Executive Director of HECAF360, has closely partnered with the Government of Nepal to mitigate the impact of Covid -19 on its citizens. HECAF 360 negotiated and arranged multiple importations of life saving BiPAP ventilation equipment and PPE from the Tzu Chi Foundation.
The life saving consignment of oxygen concentrators, ventilators and a vast assortment of PPE is valued at nearly $1.4 million US and exceeded 110 tons of air freighted cargo.
Partial
manifest
lists
Initial hand over ceremony at airport warehouse.
Extremely low-key due to pandemic.
5. Cleaning up Covid19 Vaccination Waste
COVID 19 has ravaged the country.
However with the onset of a large scale vaccination program the situation is beginning to improve.
But the infection threat hasn't gone away – not only does it linger in variants, it lurks in the health care waste!
Since Public Health has long been a focus of its work, HECAF 360 was eager to take on the challenge of minimising these risks to community health.
Read this important Kathmandu Post story here.
HECAF 360 uses both microwave and autoclaving technologies to disinfect the large volume of potentially contaminated used needles and syringes produced by the national vaccination campaign.