P50-M equipment

Purchasing of machine to treat hospital wastes said to save city of transportation cost

THE City Government of Cagayan de Oro is planning to purchase a P50 million worth of equipment for proper disposal of hospital wastes.

City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro) chief Engineer Armen Cuenca said the City Council has already approved the P50 million budget to buy the machine that will treat the hazardous wastes produced by hospitals, laboratories, and clinics.

Currently, Cuenca said the city is transporting its hospital wastes to Cebu City and Davao City, which he said is very costly.

"We have started the bidding and already, one company has their proposal. Hopefully, we can buy the machine within the year," Cuenca said.

The machine is expected to process 75 kilo per hour of hospital wastes. It 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.

City Mayor Oscar Moreno earlier said these efforts are part of the environment consciousness that he wish to instill in the minds of Kagayanons.

Moreno said he wants Cagayan de Oro to be at the top and elevate the city to higher standards.