Northern Regional Manager of Waste Management Experts Zoomlion Ghana Limited Mr. Peter Dawuni has said that a set team of experts has been deployed to the various centres in the region to collect the waste generated from the ongoing nationwide 2nd jab of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccination exercise.
Mr. Dawuni in an interview disclosed that the vaccination waste from all the 35 centres in the northern region will be collected by the Zoomlion Medical Waste team.
“We are here to complement the efforts of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government to manage the medical waste generated as the result of the Covid-19 vaccination exercise”.
According to him, the 35 centres across the northern region and have therefore deployed all the logistics that are needed to the various centres.
“What we intend doing as a company is that we have the requisite facilities in stored and therefore we have the capacity to be able to treat medical waste before it finally disposed of”. He added
The fourth (4th) phase of the waste management of used Covid-19 vaccine materials collection which commenced operation on Tuesday nationwide (August 31, 202 – September 5, 2021,) is a collaboration among Medical Waste Management Company, a subsidiary of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the Public Health Department of the Ministry of Health, School of Hygiene and School of Public Health of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The exercise involves the provision of waste bins, colour-coded bin liners, routine collection of waste, transportation with specialised trucks, treatment and disposal of the potentially infectious vaccination waste.
It is aimed at providing medical waste services for vaccination centres across the country during the second jab of the AstraZeneca vaccine, ensuring that medical waste is safely and correctly stored, collected, treated, and disposed of.
Hajia Fati Bawa Sibdow, the Deputy Environmental Health and Sanitation Director in the northern region in an interview said the exercise has been successful so far aside from a few internet disputes but so far so good.
“We currently at Tamale centre but it looks like many are still not aware that the AstraZeneca Vaccines for the second jab are inn and that has resulted in low patronage at some places”.
She also noted that the network has been low for some time which makes it difficult for the few who were at the centre to be vaccinated but it’s picking up bit by bit.
“My advice to the general public is that covid is real so people should take the vaccine serious to ensure that all their families and friends are been vaccinated,” she added.
One officer with the Ghana Health Service at Savelugu RCH reiterated that the patronage was low probably because it is the first day and the APP used in the vaccination also delayed the process.
“But in all, we have started with all those who were waiting to take their 2nd dose”.
He again applauded Zoomlion Ghana Limited for its efforts in the waste management sector.
“Waste management is very good because during the vaccination we have generated some waste so this collaboration among Zoomlion Medical Waste team is good. We anticipate that the people in the northern region and for that matter nationwide will show up in their numbers for the 2nd dose”.
