KAPATAGAN, Lanao del Norte – The first-ever Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility in the province, owned and operated by the Provincial Government, is now ready to solve the biomedical waste problems of the six (6) provincial hospitals in Lanao del Norte.
This new facility is an on-site solution for hospital infectious waste microwave treatment machine with refrigerated van located at Kapatagan Provincial Hospital Compound, amounting to ₱35M and is said to be the 1st LGU owned biomedical waste facility in Region 10 using microwave technology and 2nd in Mindanao (next to Agusan del Sur).
Notwithstanding the significance of the project in ensuring better waste disposal and sanitation for Lanao del Norte, the construction of the said 100sqm biomedical waste treatment facility is the PGLDNs compliance to the joint DENR-DOH Administrative Order No. 02 Series of 2005 or the Policies and Guidelines on effective and proper handling, collection, transport, treatment, storage, and disposal of health care wastes.
“Since the year 2019, Governor Angging has tasked us to benchmark and make a proposal to convert our medical waste into non-hazardous waste, and now it’s finally here,” Jocelyn Lontayao, acting Provincial Resource Management Center head, said.
During the ribbon-cutting and commissioning of the said facility on Thursday, March 24, all chief of hospitals, PGLDN department heads, the father of peace and development, 2nd District Representative Congressman Abdullah ‘Bobby’ Dimakuta Dimaporo, Vice Governor Christina ‘Cristy’ Atay, former Provincial Administrator Sittie Aminah Quibranza Dimaporo, Dr. Cheryl Balane, Chief Regulations, Licensing and Enforcement Division of DOH Northern Mindanao, Provincial DOH Officer Dr. Jovette Guinal, and Engr. Raedwulf Geollegue, Chief Provincial Environmental Management Unit, were present to witness the waste problem solver of the province’s major healthcare units.
“For hazardous waste, it is very important that at the moment it’s generated, it is accounted for and managed up to its eventual fate in the environment. It gives me pride that finally, hospitals here in Lanao will no longer dig holes to bury and can properly dispose of their wastes to reduce the adverse effects that this may pose,” Engr. Geollegue said.
Ms. Aminah expressed her awe at the newly acquired eco-friendly technology and said, “Governor Angging went ahead and funded the budget for this project because she saw the need for our hospitals. There were a lot of people involved to make sure that this project was realized, but it was the initiative of our Governor to see that it is here today, shared for the entire province.”
The test run and commissioning was led by the Provincial Inspectorate Team and was assisted by MHR Health Care, Co., the supplier of the said facility.
Also included in the package are 24 wheeled trash bins. The machine can accommodate 300kg of waste per day at 50kg per hour, enough to cater to the infectious wastes of Kolambugan, Kauswagan, Baloi SND, LNPH, and Kapatagan Provincial Hospitals. PIO-LDN