City of Koronadal —- Members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) under the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Program of the Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO) have formulated an Ordinance on Health Care Waste Management and Disposal during a meeting held recently at ELM Mansion, this city.
Entitled “Ordinance Regulating the Management, Collection, Treatment, Transport, Storage and Disposal of Health Care Providers in the Province of South Cotabato,” the objectives of said ordinance are to prevent health care associated infection, protect the environment and hospital personnel, other individuals going in and out of hospital facilities, garbage collectors, scavengers and the community at large to hazardous health waste and improve regulatory compliance.
PEMO Environment Management Division chief Elbe Balucanag led the presentation of the draft ordinance to the TWG members in attendance composed of IPHO, PEO, PPDO, DENR-EMB 12 DOH 12, PhilHealth 12, T’boli MENRO and NGO South Cotabato Foundation Inc.
Based on the survey conducted by City and Municipal ENROs and PEMO, health care providers generate 454.4 kilograms of health care wastes a month.
The survey is based from 65 hospitals and clinics, both private and government, operating in South Cotabato.
Earlier, TWG members DENR-EMB 12, DOH 12 and PhilHealth 12 presented their respective agency regulations and mandates on how health care waste should be manage with particular attention on handling, collection, storage, transport. treatment and disposal.
“The next step after the formulation and drafting of the ordinance is its submission to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan 9SP) for its passage,” Balucanag stressed.
If approved, all health care providers in the province are obliged to dispose their wastes in the Health Care Waste Treatment Facility that will be constructed by PEMO.
Health care providers will pay corresponding fees to the province foe the treatment, storage and disposal of their wastes.
The facility is located inside the 5-hectare Integrated Provincial Environment Management Center (IPEMC) in Tinongkop, Tantangan.
