THE Lapu-Lapu City Government wants to penalize Chong Hua Hospital and another hospital based in Mandaue City that are accused of disposing of their medical wastes off the coast of Barangay Ibo during the weekend.

Mayor Paz Radaza said they sent notices to the two hospitals to explain how their medical wastes reached the city’s shores.

Radaza said she met with department heads of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) and the City Legal Office on Tuesday, Jan. 8, to address the matter.

SunStar Cebu is withholding the name of the second hospital, pending its comment.

“We just want the hospitals to explain how their medical waste ended up in Lapu-Lapu City,” the mayor said in Cebuano.

Ethelbert Ouano of the City Attorney’s Office said the hospitals had five days to reply.

Ouano said the hospitals would be issued citation tickets if their explanations didn’t satisfy the City.

After discovering the viral post on the medical waste dumped in Barangay Ibo, the City immediately sent sanitary inspectors to inspect the affected area.

Recovered were various medical wastes, such as syringes, needles, vials containing blood samples, kidney basins, reservoir bags and IV containers, among others.

A concerned citizen from Sitio Apro also called the media after finding a plastic bag containing test tubes with Hepatitis B samples and adult diapers, among others.

Rodirico Tagaan, Cenro chief, said the medical wastes found in Barangay Ibo were hazardous and infectious.

He said the medical waste would have to be treated before these could be disposed.

In a separate interview, Department of Health (DOH) 7 Director Jaime Bernadas said that while they couldn’t investigate the matter since it was under the local government unit’s jurisdiction, they could provide technical assistance if Lapu-Lapu City requested it.

Bernadas advised the public to avoid going near or touching improperly disposed medical wastes, and instead report their discovery to authorities.

He urged those living in Lapu-Lapu City to be careful, especially since this was not the first instance that medical wastes were thrown at sea.

Bacteria from infectious wastes may not thrive in the sea because of the saltwater’s antiseptic qualities, but Bernadas said there were instances that it could thrive if there were too many contaminants.

Meanwhile, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 Director William Cuñado said he had yet to receive the official report from his personnel on their investigation on the medical wastes recovered in Barangay Ibo.

Lapu-Lapu City officials already confirmed that they would attend a technical conference organized by the EMB 7 regarding the issue.

Earlier, representatives of Chong Hua Hospital said management initiated its own investigation on the matter.

They said the hospital had outsourced the disposal of their medical wastes to a Davao City-based firm. (From HBL, FVQ of SuperBalita Cebu, JKV)