By Kingsley Adegboye

The Lagos State Government has unveiled a draft policy for healthcare waste management to regulate and inculcate best practices on all frontiers. The draft policy which was presented at the just concluded 8th Lagos Healthcare Waste Management Summit was part of the decisions reached at the last summit.

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The Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello affirmed that the draft policy is quite in line with the state policy on environmental sustainability. He therefore urged Lagos residents to comply with the policy.

“I wish to reassure all of us of the continuous government reward packages for all those who imbibe change in healthcare waste management. The series of award slated for today’s programme is in line with promoting best practices while those who are yet to match the vision should step up and bridge the gaps,”he said.

Bello stated that the draft policy is one of the state government’s efforts towards healthcare waste management. He stated that the government is willing to partner with private investors who are ready to manage on build and transfer basis, the healthcare waste treatment facilities across the state.

Recalling that the state government has to its record the construction of three transfer loading stations TLS, with the third station ready for management concession, Bello stated that the annual Healthcare Waste Management Summit was government’s avenue for informing, educating, sensitising and making resolves on positive actions to address issues of healthcare waste.

Affirming the progress recorded by the Healthcare Waste Management Programme of the state government, he noted that “the government is servicing 27 General Hospitals, 253 Primary Healthcare Centres, six Federal Institutions and 2, 480 Private Healthcare facilities all around the state which have created jobs for over 30 companies in PSP Healthcare Waste Collection.