WHY are environmental officials focusing only their investigation on Davao City Environmental Care Inc. (DCECI), the service provider of Chong Hua Hospital that hauls and disposes its hospital waste, as the alleged culprit in the indiscriminate dumping of hazardous and toxic waste that were recovered in the waters of Mactan channel and Butuanon river in Mandaue City when there are other service providers? It was confirmed that the hospital waste came from Chong Hua Hospital as evidenced on the markings in some of the medical waste recovered.
Hospital wastes are disposed separately from the ordinary garbage as they contain hazardous and toxic materials. Biomedical waste is any kind of waste containing infectious or potentially infectious materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually appears to be medical or laboratory in origin. There is a special process and primary methods of treatment and disposal of medical wastes, like incineration, autoclaves, mechanical/chemical disinfection, microwave, irradiation and vitrification.
The Mandaue City Government, through its City Environmental Natural Resources Office (Cenro), had issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against DCECI’s operation in Mandaue City, while the Lapu-Lapu City Government had already communicated to the company and its client hospital for possible explanation before the City Government will impose an administrative penalty against them for violation of our environmental laws.
But is it really the DCECI that is the lone culprit in the indiscriminate dumping of those hospital wastes? Nobody has come out in the open and pointed an accusing finger to the company that has been outsourced by Chong Hua for quite a time. So far, the evidence on hand by the local government units and environmental officials are the markings of the hospital waste, and the hospital concerned already acknowledged that it came from them. However, the hospital passed the responsibility in hauling and disposing of those garbage to the DCECI. But the company denied any hand in the indiscriminate dumping and blamed it on the scavengers.
But sources said that there is another service provider that Chong Hua Mandaue hired and it’s the Pollution Abatement System Specialists Inc. (Passi), whose plant is in White Road, Inayawan, Cebu City. Chong Hua has been a client of the company since it opened its Mandaue City branch a couple of years ago. According to the source, Passi also serviced majority of the hospitals based in Cebu and Mandaue Cities.
Last Sunday night, Jan. 20, Mandaue Cenro outpost stationed at the entrance of Umapad dumpsite road apprehended two private garbage trucks loaded with hospital waste in yellow bags hidden underneath black garbage bags containing general wastes. The trucks, which belong to another company, were impounded by Cenro and the police. But a Cenro official denied the garbage contained hospital wastes.
So, if this is the case, why are environmental agencies only focusing their investigation on DCECI? Other service providers should also be investigated for possible negligence and lapses in disposing of those hospital waste. Or maybe, there was a sabotage on the part of DCECI personnel directly in charge of the hauling. And this is my theory. The hospital management failed to closely monitor the performance of their service provider, while the latter also failed to directly and personally supervise their personnel directly involved in the hauling of the hospital waste.
The indiscriminate and illegal dumping of those waste happened during the Christmas holidays. Basin wala siguro hatagi ug Christmas bonus o 13th-month sa kompaniya ang mga drivers ug pahinante sa basura maong nasuko sa kompaniya og gisabotahe sila. O ba kaha nangahubog sa Christmas party ang garbage truck drivers ug iyang assistant mao tong giyabo na lang sa daplin sa sapa ug sa dagat. Nagtinapulan ba. Pagkatoytoy!