The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is eyeing to allocate P181.6 million for the establishment of preliminary treatment and storage facilities for new coronavirus 2019-related healthcare waste from its P774-million solid waste management program budget for 2022.
The DENR said through the Environmental Management Bureau, funds will be provided for 227 local government units (LGUs) nationwide representing 81 provinces and 146 cities for the proper collection, treatment, storage and disposal of protective personal equipment, syringes, vials and other COVID-related healthcare wastes from households, vaccination sites, testing and quarantine facilities.
In a statement, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, said that while COVID cases in the country have started to decline, healthcare wastes generated by the situation have continuously become a challenge among cities and provinces especially in remote areas and among small generators that are not serviced by treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities.
The DENR said the proposed treatment and storage facilities will serve as temporary and transit points for COVID-related healthcare wastes such as personal protective equipment, syringes, needles and vials for chemical disinfection and storage before these are transported to a TSD facility.
The proposed P181.6 million budget will be coursed through DENR regional offices as each LGU will receive P800,000 for the establishment of special waste facilities.
However, the DENR pointed out that the healthcare waste program for LGUs does not cover medical wastes coming from hospitals.
Aside from the preliminary treatment and storage facility, DENR’s solid waste management program budget for 2022 will include support for the establishment of trash traps; collection and disposal services for garbage patches; provision of solid waste management equipment such as shredders, composters and plastic recycling equipment for LGUs nationwide; and hauling services for solid waste collected in Boracay.
