Hospital execs called for waste disposal meet

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) has scheduled a meeting next month with all public and private hospital administrators in Cebu City to discuss proper disposal of hazardous wastes.

This is on top of the slated executive session tomorrow at the Cebu City Hall that the City Council had earlier arranged.

CENRO Head Ma. Nida Cabrera said her office already called for consultation among hospital administrators, service providers, representatives of the Environmental Management Bureau-7 and the Department of Health-7 on February 16.

“Although wala ka-violate atong service provider diri, naay problema because of their permits nga expired na and nalangan tungod sa system,” she told reporters.

Among the items that will be tackled during the consultation next month include the proper management of hazardous waste, system on the accreditation for the service providers, among others.

Cabrera said one of the objectives of her office is to ensure that all hospitals have their own pollution control officer.

“Importante kaayo ni nga ma-discuss kay ang Cebu City, wala naman tay disposal site. Atong ma-identify kon asa ang final disposal site coming from the hospital,” she said.

Cabrera said the office will remind the hospital managements that garbage collectors of city’s Department of Public Services are not allowed to collect hospital wastes from hospitals.

For tomorrow, the City Council will discuss the proper waste disposal of the hospitals in Cebu City to prevent the same incident in other local government units where hospital wastes were seen floating in the waters off the Mactan Channel and in the dumpsite in Mandaue City.

City Councilor Joel Garganera, who moved for the executive session, said he also met about 30 representatives of hospitals, medical facilities, and birthing centers two weeks ago and there he knew about the extent of the problem.

Garganera said there were 200 drums in a hospital, which he did not divulge, that contain hospital wastes and left uncollected, adding that another maternity clinic had a hard time looking for disposal sites of the placentas of the mothers who just gave birth.

Members of the City Council agreed to discuss the matter during tomorrow’s executive session at 9 a.m. at the City Council session hall. (FREEMAN)