The Puerto Princesa City Council asked the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to hasten the issuance of Permit to Transport of hospital and health care wastes of Puerto Princesa Cooperative Hospital, one of the private tertiary hospitals in the city.
City Councilor Atty. Nesario G. Awat sponsored the resolution that requested DENR-EMB to expedite the process and issue transport permit to Cooperative Hospital so that it can immediately haul hospital wastes, with the help of the accredited Transport, Storage and Disposal (TSD) services provider and facilities.
“Yamang ang aplikasyon ng Coop Hospital ay hindi pa na-aprobahan ay ating hinihiling na pabilisin ang pag-aproba ng aplikasyon ng Coop Hospital na bibigyan sila ng kaukulang Permit to Transport,” he said.
Julito Pogoy of PASSI, an accredited TSD service provider, said that the Cooperative Hospital has applied for permit however its application was not yet acted upon by DENR-EMB.
“They (Cooperative Hospital) have applied that (but) they have not yet issued with Permit to Transport,” Pogoy said.
The type and the scope of the Cooperative Hospital, being one of the city’s bigger facilities, worried the city officials if their wastes are not yet disposed due due to the delayed issuance of the permit to transport.
“Samakatuwid wala pang Permit to Transport from the national government. Paano ang medical wastes ng Coop Hospital?” City Councilor Awat asked Pogoy.
Edna Velasco, head of the DENR-EMB Provincial Environmental Management Office (PEMO) based in Brgy. Sta. Monica said that while there are hospitals that were not yet issued with permits, the hospitals are doing their best to properly manage their solid wastes, specifically the medical and health care wastes, while waiting for their issuance. Also, their office is conducting monitoring of the hospitals.
“Itong (hospital wastes) ay maaring naka warehouse o naka-storebed at nakalagay sa isang particular na lugar,” she said.
Atty. Carlo B. Gomez, the city environment and natural resources officer, said that the monitoring of the hospitals is vested to the DENR-EMB and the Department of Health (DOH). They have, in fact, their Department Administrative Order (DAO) intended for the purpose.
“The LGU of any cities and municipalities are recipients of supposed to be the IEC (information education campaign) program nila. But of course, we appreciate the effort of the effort of the Sanggunian now para ma- call ang kanilang attention,” Atty. Gomez said.
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