TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Environment and Forestry Ministry (KLHK) recorded 18,460 tons of hazardous and toxic medical waste from the Covid-19 handling in all healthcare facilities, emergency hospitals, isolation and quarantine centers, detection tests, and vaccinations.

“As ordered by the President, we must intensify efforts and be more systematic in managing medical waste,” said the Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar after a closed meeting with President Joko Jokowi Widodo today, July 28.

The president wanted the waste management system to run from homes to service centers, which was parallel to the waste facilities, Siti said. The biohazardous waste includes used infusions, masks, vaccine vials, face shields, hazmat suits, syringes, PPE, gloves, PCR antigen kits, and alcohol swabs.

Siti said the data came from the regions and provinces. However, they did not represent real figures since the ministry is still collecting data. “The hospital waste can reach 383 tons per day,” she added.

The national B3 waste management facilities are capable of processing 493 tons per day. However, Siti said the facilities are concentrated in Java. Since last year, the ministry has granted relaxation for the licensing of medical waste incinerators.

“We will soon build more incinerators or shredders. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) will later explain the system,” she concluded.

Read: How to Properly Dispose Medical Mask Waste

EGI ADYATAMA