PASSI plans to transfer facility to Palawan

The Pollutions Abatement Systems Specialists Inc., (PASSI) is planning to transfer its multi-million peso waste treatment facility plant in Palawan due to low compliance among health care establishments in Cebu on the implementation of the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Ac (Republic Act 6969).

PASSI president Julieto Pugoy said that the company, which is owned by mechanical engineer retirees in Cebu decided the transfer as they are "dissatisfied" by the slow compliance rate of hospitals and health establishments here in managing their healthcare wastes.

He said this decision might be a loss for Cebu as the province needs this facility for its Medical Tourism hub bid, but Pugoy said the group has to consider the business side of the service.

Pugoy said Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn has promised that the local government unit would aggressively implement the RA 6969.

"The Mayor said that the LGU will require hospitals and health facilities in the city to comply with the law or face the punishment of closure," he said.

Cebu-based PASSI has been operating an autoclave treatment facility in Inayawan, this city, since 2003 and had been treating hazardous wastes from hospitals, funeral parlors, and other healthcare establishments.

The autoclave machine kills viruses and bacteria in medical waste by employing heat. It is equipped with a metal chamber sealed by a charging door and surrounded by a steam jacket, then steam is introduced into the chamber using the required temperature to kill the bacteria.

However, Pugoy said that five years after it started operating here, the company continues to incur losses and operates less than capacity since only few healthcare establishments are availing of their service.

"With the slow compliance rate, we feel that it would not be viable for us to continue our business here anymore," he said.

Pugoy also mentioned PASSI has earmarked P45 million to put up autoclave waste treatment facilities in Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Davao and General Santos cities, in the next two years.

He is optimistic of strong demand for autoclave treatment facilities with the release of a joint administrative order by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Health calling for a strict implementation of policies on effective and proper handling, collection, transport, treatment, storage and disposal of health care wastes.

Healthcare establishments may have segregated their hazardous health-care wastes from the general health care waste but these are left untreated and disposed of in the municipal sanitary landfill or dumpsite for lack of an alternative treatment of disposal system.

The risk of transmitting diseases is aggravated by uncontrolled practice by waste workers and scavengers of collecting recyclables from hazardous health care waste during storage.— Ehda M. Dagooc