The government has approved a project to set up medical waste management infrastructure in 15 public hospitals, with a view to making the facilities safe, clean and infection-free environments, as well as protect the environment from the hazardous waste.

The Tk 214.47 crore project "Hospital-Based Medical Waste Management", was approved at the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) meeting yesterday, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina joined virtually.

"Waste produced in hospitals are very hazardous. For this reason, the project has been approved, initially for 15 public hospitals," Planning Minister MA Mannan told reporters following the meeting. Slated to be completed by December 2024, the project will create the capacity to collect, store, transport, process and remove various medical wastes safely.

The 15 hospitals include Rangpur Medical College Hospital, all the government hospitals in Sher-E-Bangla Nagar area in Dhaka, Kurmitola General Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital, Satkhira Medical College Hospital and several district hospitals. Sources said, the DGHS initially proposed the project for 35 public hospitals.

According to the planning minister, the premier has instructed to bring all public hospitals under similar systems.

A 2019 investigation by The Daily Star found all 1,380 healthcare facilities, public and private, in divisional cities excluding Dhaka produce over 20 tonnes of medical waste every day. They're usually dumped in landfills, mixing with household wastes collected by the city corporations.

"When we observe public health hazards (cholera, typhoid, etc.) we don't discuss medical waste, though it might be a key factor," Prof Ahmed Abu Saleh, chairperson of microbiology department at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University told The Daily Star earlier.

In yesterday's meeting, the prime minister also instructed to ensure private healthcare facilities maintain waste management protocols as per the law.