As the country prepares for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (CoViD-19) pandemic peak in best and worst-case scenario models reported by the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS), the EMB Regional Office No. 3 (EMB-3) also braces itself for the onslaught of infectious wastes and dead bodies from the infected.
In a report provided by EMB-3 Regional Director Wilson L. Trajeco to the Manila Standard, his office has prepared two contingency plans for infectious waste disposal and simplified process for approval of mass burial sites.
In his contingency plan for infectious wastes, Trajeco reveals that the existing combined capacity of 4 TSDs with M501 certificates in the Region, in addition to Tarlac Provincial Hospital, which is allowed to conduct onsite treatment of its own wastes, is only 30.72 metric tons per day.
Based on incomplete data from the EMB Central Office, other M501 TSD facilities in the country have a combined capacity of only 21.87 metric tons per day, which brings the total industry capacity to a measly 52.59 metric tons per day or only 3.6 percent of infectious waste treatment capacity even with the best case scenario.
Trajeco thus proposes that the DENR should also tap other licensed TSD facilities that use thermal equipment but are not registered for M501 wastes.
Trajeco also recommends including cement plants like Holcim Philippines and Republic Cement, which use certain types of residual wastes as an alternative fuel in cement manufacturing processes, to be issued special M501 certificates to allow them to treat infectious wastes. This will then require a revisit of Department Administrative Order No. 2010-06 which provides guidelines for the use of alternative fuels and raw materials in cement kilns.
The contingency plan cites an example of a cement company in the United States, Trioxy Inc., which uses health care wastes as a substitute fuel for its cement kilns.
Nevertheless, the combined capacity of all these TSD facilities will only be 202.80 metric tons per day (180.22 in Region 3 and 21.87 in other regions based on incomplete data). In the worst-case scenario, the industry will not be able to cope.
Using the World Health Organization average of 0.5 kgs of medical waste per patient, the forecasted peak of 2million infected, without intervention, by the month of May will generate at least 1million metric tons of waste.
According to the PIDS publication, however, even with intervention, if the current trend of failure to isolate at least 70 percent of those infected and delays in reporting symptomatic cases continue, the country will experience a peak of 8.5 million infected by August of this year.
Trajeco calls for the everyone’s cooperation in helping to flatten the curve by observing all protocols of proper hygiene, wearing of masks and social distancing.
The EMB-3 also prepared a contingency plan for mass burial sites.
This plan came after some local government units (LGUs) sought the EMB-3’s permission to host their own mass burial sites within their respective territories in view of the possible surge of CoVid-19 related deaths.
EMB-3 Regional Director Wilson L. Trajeco told the Standard that in the worst case scenario, there may not even be enough caskets to hold dead bodies, in view of the limited number of crematoria in the entire country and existing public cemetery spaces have already reached their saturation point.
Based on the data from the EMB-3, there are only around 70 licensed and operational crematoria in the country which are not enough in the event of a surge of Covid-related deaths.
Trajeco said that with this scenario, his office cannot do away with environmental parameters for mass burial sites, such as a simplified development plan, in anticipation of the coming rainy season, as the storm runoff could also be source of contagion.
However, the EMB clarifies that it will simplify the procedure in applying for environmental compliance certificates (ECC) and permits to operate through its online permitting system.
The contingency plan also covers the private sector industry and provides for a checklist for an initial environmental examination (IEE) with minimal requirements such as a business permit, proof of land ownership, a DOH clearance and the like.
Trajeco assures that once the requirements are complete, approval and issuance of the ECC should take no more than two days.
Trajeco said that it will issue a notice to all LGUs containing a checklist for an IEE and other legal requirements to facilitate the process of approval.
On February 3, the DOH issued Department Memorandum No. 2020-0067 which provides for guidelines on the disposal of remains from CoViD-19 related deaths, which gives preference to burial by cremation within 12 hours from the time of death.
Handling of the body includes placement in an airtight cadaver bag that is leak-proof and to be sealed with packaging tapes and bandages. In no way shall the bag be opened or unzipped prior to the burial, which means that hygienic preparations such as washing of the body, tidying the hair, trimming of the nails, shaving, and embalming will altogether be done away with.
Personnel handling the bodies are also required to wear single-use PPEs before during and after the handling of the dead body and to dispose of these items immediately according to protocol.