On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, The Department of the Environment held a national consultation to address medical waste in Belize. Martin Alegria, Chief Environmental Officer stated that the department has hired three consultants to look at Belize’s current position in three areas concerning medical waste management. The aim is for Belize to manage medical waste more efficiently and minimize secondary or direct impacts on human health and the environment.
According to Martin Alegria, Belize is one of eight countries that are participating in the National Demonstration Project, a regional Caribbean Project by the Basel Convention Center out of Trinidad and Tobago, concentrating on the chemical management.
In Belize, the main concern was that of medical waste and Mr. Alegria stated that they are presenting the preliminary findings of these consultancies, the legal, institutional and technical management and disposal plan of medical waste with the key stakeholders meaning the private clinics, the public clinics, the all doctors that have their own offices. He also added that there is the intention to study biomedical waste in Belize and plan for its proper management as well.
