First medical waste treatment plant in the region to open in January

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Dec. 24 (PIA) -- The first medical waste treatment plant in the region will soon be operationalized in January completing the facilities that will enhance Puerto Princesa City’s compliance to environmental laws on waste management.

The waste treatment facility, a joint venture between the city government and the Cebu-based Pollution Abatement Systems Specialist Inc. (PASSI) conforms with Republic Act 6969 or the “Toxic Substance and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Act of 1990” and Republic Act No. 9003 or the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.”

The P25 million project sits in a 1,000 square meter lot near the city’s Sanitary Landfill and houses an autoclave machine which can process a maximum of 500 kilos of waste.

An autoclave process machine is used for the pre-disposal treatment and sterilization of waste material such as pathogenic hospital waste. It utilizes pressurized steam and superheated water to kill bacteria, viruses, spores and fungi.

After treatment in the autoclave, the waste is shredded and capsulated before it is disposed in the sanitary landfill. This is an alternative to incinerator.

PASSI inked service agreements with health care waste generators such as the public and private hospitals and clinics, mortuary and autopsy centers, birthing homes and other laboratories for the collection, transport and treatment of their wastes. PASSI will charge Ph47 per kilo of waste.

The City Health Office welcomes the operationalization of the waste treatment facility which will protect the public from possible infection or contamination caused by improper handling of pathogenic and hazardous wastes.

The Ospital ng Palawan was one of the first institutions that entered into an agreement with PASSI for the handling of the medical waste produced by the hospital.

This project conforms to the call for a responsive health care system that shall protect all disadvantaged Filipinos from all types of risks as embodied in the President’s Social Contract with the Filipinos.

by Victoria S. Mendoza (TBO/VSM/PIA-Palawan)