City gov't to buy P50M machine

The city government is set to purchase a P50 million worth of equipment to properly dispose wastes from hospitals, health clinics and medical schools in the city.

So far, four companies intend to supply said equipment. The firms include Centramed Philippine Company, Radicor Solution, Sterile Wave, and Rad Green Solution

These firms presented their proposals to the committee on environment and natural resources last week.

Councilor Eric Salcedo, committee chair, said the city is looking for an industrial processing machine capable to process medical and hazardous wastes from hospitals and health clinics in the city.

Salcedo said they are seeking opinion from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in choosing the best supplier.

"We are finally buying this equipment para malikayan nato ang nahitabo years ago when medical wastes were dumped to

Bolonsiri in Camaman-an," he said.

The City Local Environment and Natural Resources (Clenro) disclosed that about 14 tons of medical wastes are produced by hospitals daily.

Clenro chief Engineer Armen Cuenca said the city is currently shipping its medical wastes to Cebu and Davao City to dispose it properly, which is "very costly."

Once purchased, the new equipment will be placed at the sanitary landfill in Barangay Pagalungan.

Under the Health Care Waste Management Manual released by the Department of Health, waste generators are ultimately responsible for ensuring their wastes are properly treated and disposed of in an approved disposal facility.

The manual, posted on www.doh.gov.ph, states that all health care waste to be transported to an approved off-site waste treatment facility shall be transported by a Department of Environment and Natural Resources-accredited transporter or courier.

The recommended methods of disposal are chemical disinfection, wet and thermal treatment or autoclaving, and land disposal, particularly sanitary landfill, encapsulation, and safe burial on hospital premises.