Semarang City Government Policy on Medical Waste Management of Dental Clinics and Independent Practicing Dentists

The number of dental clinics and dentist independent practices in Semarang city has increased every year. This also increases the potential production of the dental health care waste. They could potentially harm the health care personnel, patients, and also the environment because of their harzardous nature. Therefore, Semarang City Government’s role in regulating and making policies is crucial. This study will not just analyze Semarang City Government policies in managing health care waste in dental clinics and independent dentist practices, but also identify the factors that support or inhibit the implementations. This research was held in Semarang City using sociological juridical approach and presented descriptively and analytically. Primary data was collected through observation and interviews. Secondary legal data is obtained by collecting legal and non-legal theories. In addition, the authors also assess all regulations and policies from central to local governments that are relevant to this topic. The research sample was taken from clinics that run dental services and independent dentist pravtices in Semarang city. The sample was determined by purposive sampling and analyzed qualitatively through analytical naration, graphs and tables. The policies regarding dental health care waste managements in Semarang City are found in the standard operational procedure of licensing. The procedures are held in publishing the operational license for clinics and the professional license for dentists. From a juridical point of view, a legal vacuum regarding obligation of environmental document and overlapping guidelines in both of ministry’s regulation impact both of health care facilities carry out the procedure inappositely. The local government should publish the local guidelines, form letters, or decrees as a quick alternative way to suspend those juridical inhibitions. The licensing procedures act as a sociological support factor for clinic and independent dentist practices to renew their mou with the third parties every year. The lack of knowledge about health care waste ministry’s guidelines inhibit the implementations in those facilities. PDGI Semarang could tahe the role in educating their peers through local seminars or as a material to be discussed at their regular meeting. Technically, the absence of temporary storage and cold srorage make the health care waste unsave to be kept. It is also quite expensive for dentists having cooperation personally wi