Wike unveils AEPB’s healthcare waste mgt plan for FCC

Stories by Stanley Onyekwere

The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike has publicly presented the Basic Plan for Strengthening of Health Care Waste Management in the Federal Capital City (FCC), a document developed and produced by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), with support from Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Wike, while officially uncovering  the document in Abuja, described the development of the plan as apt, assured that the FCT Administration would continue to prioritize environmental sustainability, so as to accelerate realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Territory.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Babagana Adam, the minister stressed the need for support from critical stakeholders, to ensure  effective implementation of the document aimed at boosting healthy practices and environmental-friendly nation’s capital city.

Earlier in his opening remark, the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Agency (AMMC), Mr. Felix Obuah had  commended the efforts of the management of AEPB, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), JICA and other stakeholders for their time and energy for the past two years in developing the plan and as well the training manual for healthcare facilities and collection service providers (CSP’S) in FCC.

Obuah, who was represented by a management staff of the Council, Mohammed Habib said it is a welcome development in FCTA as it will enable the Administration make all the necessary budgetary

provision to support the Basic Plan to ensure it’s successful implementation.

“As a matter of fact, the issues of disease pandemic outbreak is no longer a news anymore in our country and so FCTA will continue to support ideas and programs

Iike this, that is very instrumental in ensuring FCT is clean, and free from all types of environmental nuisances that could jeopardize and pose serious public health and environmental challenges, if our generated Healthcare and other Waste are not properly managed and treated.

“Furthermore, FCTA is also using this medium to appeal to all relevant stakeholders especially the Healthcare facilities to put this tools to use and ensure compliance to make FCT comparable with other cities of the world in the areas of effective healthcare management system”, he stated

On his part, the Senior  representative of JICA, in Nigeria, Mr. Yamamoto Tetsuya assured that the Agency would continue to render technical assistance to AEPB towards realizing its mandate.

Not left out, the AEPB Director, Mr. Braimah Osilama, explained that the primary objectives for the plan,  is to among other things to assess existing status, current practices in healthcare waste management in the FCT in general; to measure quantities, determine quality and categorize healthcare waste streams from all healthcare facilities in the FCC and to develop capacity in AEPB and Health Secretariat and also in

healthcare facilities, specifically in segregation and proper disposal and hopefully expand this capacity to the 6 Area Councils.

He added that it also aims  to recommend sustainable measures to manage and in the course of our work, have concluded that the hybrid system is most effective for the FCC.

In the words of the AEPB Director: “The plan is to install four  incinerators in designated hospitals and two at Gosa dump site and the AEPB with support from JICA, had previously implemented a project for integrated solid waste management system in the FCT from 2015-2018.

“This was to strengthen waste management in the FCT and also develop capacity in Dumpsite Management. A large number of engineers and technical personnel under went training programmes in Japan under this programme and were able to transfer skills afterwards to colleagues afterwards.”

He commended  JICA, AEPB and Health Secretariat team  who worked hard to draft and prepare the  document and expressed the hope that the  document would be strictly followed in the management of biomedical waste in the FCC.