DILI, 11 march 2022 (TATOLI) – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will support 14 incinerators to the Ministry of Health (MoH) to help separately destroy medical waste from regular ones.
“We are collaborating with WHO and UNICEF to prepare 14 incinerators which will be distributed to health facilities, including health centers, clinics, and hospitals to destroy the medical waste separately from regular waste. Because medical waste posed a threat to human and environmental health. Therefore, we shouldn’t throw our medical waste at Tibar Dumpsite,” the Environmental Health Director, Agostinho de Oliveira told Tatoli at his office in Dili, today.
The 14 incinerators will be distributed to health centers in 13 municipalities, including RAEOA.
“The procurement of the incinerators would be made this year so that in 2023 we can have these equipment installed at all health facilities,” he said.
“Medical waste suspected to contain pathogens and that poses a risk of disease transmission. Appropriate handling, treatment, and disposal of waste by type reduces costs and does much to protect public health. The medical waste contained contagious diseases; thus, it must be kept out of the reach of the community, especially children,” Oliveira stressed.
“For instance, if a child of a patient who is receiving treatment at the hospital touches any discarded syringes, then the child might catch dangerous contagious diseases,” he added.
WHO, UNICEF, and other international humanitarian organizations have also been supporting MoH with other waste management equipment.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
