WASTE: OGUN GOVERNMENT MANDATES HEALTH FACILITIES TO ADOPT ENVIRONMENTAL-FRIENDLY MANAGEMENT

Ogun State Government has mandated all health facilities in the State to adopt environmental-friendly waste management approach that will ensure its volume reduction, adequate segregation and disposal in accordance to the new Waste Management Law 2020.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Waste Management, Mr. Ola Oresanya revealed this during a virtual Healthcare Waste Management meeting in the State, saying the new approach would end poor handling of healthcare wastes which harbours diseases, thus posing risks to health workers, patients and the general public.

Oresanya said Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) through the instrumentality of the Waste Management Law 2020, would soon commence the immediate training of health workers on the ‘new normal’, while accredited healthcare waste collectors, would henceforth evacuate waste from health facilities.

‘’To ease the evacuation, health facilities operators will henceforth segregate their wastes into colour bins of Red for hazardous, Yellow for infectious, Brown for chemicals and Black for general waste, for easy identification of their potency and subsequent disposal’’, he said.

Contributing, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker said the health sector would fully collaborate with the Ministry on the approach for safety of health workers, patients and the public, adding that effective healthcare wastes management had contributed to Ogun State's success of flattening the curve of COVID-19.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Ogun State branch, Dr. Oladayo Ogunlaja, pledged his members’ support for the new initiative while that of the Private Medical Practitioners, Dr. Kamil Kusimo said with adequate training, the new healthcare waste management approach would be a huge success.

Rotimi Oduniyi,

Press Officer, Min. of Environment