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Medical waste - an expensive problem to tackle
Polish regulations require medical waste incineration, which significantly increases processing costs, however, experts point out that high-temperature sterilization is much cheaper and more effective. The Ministry of Climate does not rule out that this method may be permitted, but the Ministry still wants the Chief Sanitary Inspector to confirm the method effectiveness.
The Senate Health Committee believes that Polish regulations on medical waste treatment generate high costs; thus the senators want the Supreme Audit Office to check the price of disposal and to investigate the possibility of using alternative methods of waste neutralization, other than incineration.
According to the regulations in force, medical waste in Poland can be neutralized only by incineration in specialized incinerators, there are 23 facilities of this kind in Poland.
The Covid-19 pandemic has increased the amount of waste generated by medical entities; the increase has been estimated to exceed 100,000 tones. The incineration plants’ data shows that the processing cost of one kilogram of waste ranges from PLN 3 to PLN 30.
(MBr)
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