Jamaica’s capability to dispose of clinical (medical) waste has been significantly boosted, with the official opening of the National Medical Waste Management Plant on November 29.

The facility in downtown Kingston cost US$3 million. It is the island’s first  non-incineration automated clinical (medical) waste plant and is “expected to improve the management of waste from healthcare facilities”, using a steam sterilisation and shredding technology.

Prior to this new facility, most of the clinical waste generated in the island was treated by on-site incineration technology, predominantly at the hospitals and some health centres island-wide.  Though we have no evidence, this infers burning of wastes with inadequate emission control rather than effective incineration.

Funding for the initiative was obtained from the World Bank under the National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Project. The facility is the third of its kind in the English speaking Caribbean and clearly a commendable use of World Bank resources.

Inevitably, some incineration will still be required for those waste fractions not suitable for ATT processing and there is no mention of a joined up waste management plan that properly addresses this need. However, this is a huge step in the right direction. Good luck to them all.

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