Volume of hospital wastes dropped: Tomas orders investigation over possible irregularities

The volume of hazardous waste that a private waste disposal company have been hauling from hospitals have dropped tremendously the past months, prompting Mayor Tomas Osmeña to order an investigation.

Osmeña had asked two committees of the city council to investigate the reports that some city hospitals might not be disposing properly their hazardous wastes anymore to cut their expenses.

The Pollution Abatement Systems Specialist-a firm hired by the hospitals to haul and dispose their hazardous wastes-had reported that the volume of toxic waste from these hospitals had considerably dropped during the past months.

Julito Pogoy had reported that his company had, in the past, been hauling a total of 8000 kilos of hazardous waste from the hospitals everyday. Lately however, the company has been treating only close to 100 kilos of this waste prompting it to consider closing the business by July.

This caused speculations that some hospitals might have decided to mix their hazardous waste with other types of garbage in a veiled attempt to reduce their garbage disposal expenses with the private firm.

Osmeña ordered the council committee on environment, under councilor Nestor Archival, and the committee on health, under councilor Christopher Alix, to look into the problem that the private firm had raised earlier.

Health officials have been worried of the possibility that if these hazardous wastes are not disposed and treated properly, then these might land just at any place and direly affect the public health.

Osmeña agreed that this matter needs immediate attention so he instructed councilors Archival and Alix to conduct prompt investigation and submit their recommendations.

Republic Act 6969, or the Toxic Substances, Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act, mandates the proper disposal of hazardous wastes, especially those from hospitals.

A proper disposal is to treat this hazardous waste with the so-called autoclave technology, which heats up this waste at its highest temperature necessary to kill the germs first before dumping these to a landfill. - Rene U. Borromeo/RAE