Authorities in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi have urged to speed up medical waste treatment projects in a bid to protect the degrading environment. The projects will benefit 16 public hospitals in a move to ease the environment pollution caused by untreated solid waste and wastewater from health centers, posing great threats to the surrounding environment and human health. Only 15 state-owned hospitals in Hanoi have been outfitted with wastewater treatment facilities so far, making up 35% of its public hospitals. The city collected and treated around 1,200 tons of medical solid waste in 2011, showed statistics by the municipal health department. Hanoi is suffering from serious environmental pollution, especially medical waste-related issues, experts said, adding that it will spend VND66 billion ($3.14 million) on installing medical wastewater treatment systems in state-run hospitals and medical units to cope with the matter. Residents, companies and hospitals in the city are estimated to discharge nearly 458,000 cubic meters of wastewater a day, including 41% from domestic wastewater, 57% from industrial wastewater and 2% from medical wastewater. (Tin Tuc – News Feb 01 p7)
