A PRIVATE waste management firm is set to collect and treat medical and hazardous wastes from public medical institutions in Cebu City.

This, after the City Legal Office (CLO) saw no legal impediment to a proposed service agreement between the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) and the Integrated Waste Management Inc. (IWMI).

City Attorney Rey Gealon said the CCMC had earlier requested his office to review the proposed service agreement.

Once the agreement is signed, the IWMI will be in charge of collecting, transporting and disposing the medical and hazardous wastes of the CCMC and the Guba Community Hospital.

If the agreement is approved, Gealon said it will ensure that medical wastes from the two hospitals are properly collected and treated. It will also ensure the overall cleanliness of the two facilities.

This was the fourth time the CCMC requested the CLO to review the agreement but the latter had always denied it due to the lack of documents required for the request to be properly evaluated.

The Environmental Management Bureau had encouraged hospitals, including those operated by local government units, to provide a facility for the final disposal of infectious and hazardous wastes. (JCT / JKV)