The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved 10 projects worth Tk 8,804.10 crore including buying equipment for managing medical waste in 15 public hospitals.
The approval came from the ECNEC meeting with ECNEC Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
The Premier joined the meeting virtually from her official Ganobhaban residence while Ministers, State Ministers, Planning Commission members and secretaries concerned attended the meeting from the NEC Conference Room in the city's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Minister MA Mannan said that the meeting approved a total of 10 projects worth an estimated cost of Tk 8,804.10 crore. “Of the total project cost, Tk 8,515.87 crore will come from the government, Tk 120.78 crore from the concerned organization's own fund while the rest of Tk 167.45 crore as project loans.”
Planning Minister MA Mannan said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given special instructions on purchasing the equipment for medical waste management for the hospitals.
“She said that modern waste management should be ensured in all government hospitals. Besides, the Prime Minister also urged to bring discipline in private hospitals,” he mentioned.
The Planning Minister said the total cost for the implementation of the hospital-based medical waste management project in 15 government hospitals would be Tk 214 crore.
The entire money for the implementation of the project will be spent from government funds, he said, adding that the project will be implemented by the Directorate of Health from January this year to December 2024.
The hospitals where the project will be implemented are; Rangpur Medical College and Hospital, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar hospitals in Dhaka have been placed in 'A' category.
The 'B' category includes Kurmitola General Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital in Dhaka and Satkhira Medical College and Hospital.
The 'C' category includes, Laxmipur District Sadar Hospital, Munshiganj Sadar Hospital, Bandarban District Sadar Hospital, Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital, Bagerhat Sadar Hospital, Lalmonirhat District Sadar Hospital, Joypurhat Adhunik Sadar Hospital, Panchagarh Sadar Hospital, Pirojpur Sadar Hospital and Sherpur Sadar Hospital.
It was informed on the occasion that no waste management project has been taken up in 35 out of 64 districts of the country so far.
For this reason, the project has been taken up by including 15 hospitals in the first phase of the waste management by giving priority to the departments which were less in the districts included in the waste management.
A total capacity of 12 tons, 5 tons and 3.5 tons of medical waste per day will be created in each of the A, B and C centers without any adverse effect on public health and the environment.
