Due To The Wave Of COVID-19 Cases Since June 2021, Medical Waste In Jakarta Increases By 200 Percent

Head of the Hazardous Waste Management Section of the DKI Jakarta Environment Agency, Rosa Ambarsari (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Hazardous and toxic waste (B3) or medical waste in Jakarta has increased by 200 percent since June 2021. The medical waste consists of used personal protective equipment, PCR swab results, antigens, and vaccination waste.

"If it goes up, it can actually be up to 200 percent more than hospitals because we have hospitals that are specialized in dealing with COVID-19," said Head of the Hazardous Waste Management Section of the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency, Rosa Ambarsari when met in Jakarta, Antara, Monday, September 27.

Rosa explained that the increase in medical waste occurred when DKI Jakarta was hit by the second wave of COVID-19 in June. At that time, the number of patients in each hospital and isolation area was increasing.

Vaccine waste such as syringes is also increasing because the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government is aggressively carrying out a mass vaccination program.

This is what makes the amount of medical waste in the five areas of DKI Jakarta increasingly piled up.

Rosa admitted that her party had struggled to handle the surge in medical waste in every hospital and health center.

"Initially, we weren't really ready to handle the sudden amount of waste coming from isolation sites and from households," said Rosa.

Currently, the DKI Provincial Government is adjusting the Implementation of Community Activity Restrictions (PPKM) and the number of COVID-19 patients has decreased so that the amount of medical waste is also reduced.

"Certainly, because the cases have decreased, of course, the waste has also been the same, there has been a significant decrease," said Rosa.

Now, her party is still working with several private parties in handling medical waste from the collection process to its disposal. Rosa ensures that medical waste is handled according to procedures so that it is not harmful to the environment.