Sharjah firm to oversee disposal of medical waste

A new establishment will soon be launched in Sharjah that will enforce stricter regulations in the management of medical waste among hospitals and clinics. The establishment, Wekaya, which is a joint venture between the Sharjah Environmental Company Bee'ah and the non-profit organisation Green Planet, will be responsible for recycling and disposing medical waste. "Wekaya will take over all hospitals and clinics, private and public ones, and is expected to start operating in the next few months," Khalid Al Huraimel, General Manager of Bee'ah, told Gulf News on Monday. Medical waste is not like regular waste and special care must be taken while disposing of it, and should be kept away from the general public. Medical waste includes blood, tissues, gloves, needles and other items that come in contact with organic matter in a medical setting. Article continues below Hospitals and clinics will be required to pay for the services provided by Wekaya. Relocation: Goodbye garbage To improve Sharjah's environmental standard, authorities plan to relocate the old landfill away from residential areas before the second quarter of 2010. "The old landfill is located near University City, and we are cooperating with the contractor to relocate it to Al Saja'a Industrial Area," said Khalid Al Huraimel, General Manager of Bee'ah.