Liga ng mga Barangay President and Brgy. San Pedro Punong Barangay Francisco “Cocoy” Gabuco expressed alarm over the untreated hospital and medical wastes stored in one of the buildings that served as containment area inside the compound of Adventist Hospital Palawan.
During the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Monday, Gabuco aired his concern to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) who was present in the halls for the Question Hour in relation to the disposal of hospital and medical wastes from different hospitals in the city.
“Puno na po eh! Nakita ko po yun. Last week may nag-report sa akin mga pang-gabing tricycle drivers, na sobra na po. Masangsang na po sa BM. Can you please look on that?” Gabuco requested the DENR-EMB’s head of the Provincial Environmental Management Office (PEMO) Edna Velasco.
He said that not only the drivers who are complaining but also other ordinary citizens of his barangay and other barangays near the area. He said that medical wastes should be properly monitored and disposed of instead of containing it within the compound of the hospital.
“Ang containment nila ay puno na. Gaano katagal pwedeng itambak ang medical wastes? Gaano karami ang pwedeng i-imbak sa mga containment?” he asked.
Edna Velasco, head of PEMO, assured that she will personally look into the matter and conduct an inspection immediately.
“I commit to conduct inspection para makita ang new scenario. Syempre ay gawan namin ng latest reports and recommendations,” he said.
Pollution Abatement Systems Specialists Inc. (PASSI) Chief Executive Officer Julito Pogoy said that these medical wastes are not transported due to the delay of the issuance of Permit to Transport by the DENR-EMB to Adventist Hospital Palawan.
“They have to dispose it every day but since the permit was not issued yet. Those wastes were just left there,” he explained.
Pogoy further said that last April 21, 2019, they transported 21 tons of medical and hospital wastes from the hospital. These wastes were treated in their facility inside the city’s sanitary landfill in Brgy. Sta. Lourdes.
PASSI is a group of mechanical engineers and local business owners primarily engaged in the business of hospital waste management.
Pogoy said that hospital wastes, if not treated, contain potentially harmful microorganisms that can infect hospital patients, health workers, and the general public.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), while 85 percent of the total waste generated by health care activities is non-hazardous, the remaining 15 percent is considered hazardous material and can be infectious, toxic or radioactive.
Adventist Hospital Palawan when reached to comment on the issue released an official statement stating, “Adventist Hospital Palawan is compliant with applicable environmental laws. Adventist Hospital Palawan is open for any repeat inspection form government regulators on environment.”
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