Following the ongoing mass vaccination against the Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease across the country, the Ministry of Health (MoH), in collaboration with Zoompak Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), has taken the exercise of properly disposing of medical waste generated from the vaccination programme to the Ashanti Region.

Speaking to journalists at the Suntreso Government Hospital in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region on Monday, March 8, 2021, where health workers together with residents were being vaccinated, the Head of Medical Waste Department of Zoompak Ghana Limited, Ingineer Senam Tengey, expressed his company’s readiness to “segregate, collect, treat and properly dispose of waste materials” from the various vaccination centres.

“…and we are carrying out this exercise with the Hompak Republic of Turkey,” he disclosed.

He said the vaccination programme was part of the government’s efforts to fight the pandemic.

According to him, the task of his outfit included the proper disposal of the syringes and other medical items used for the vaccination.

“We ensure that the medical items used at the various vaccination centres are properly disposed of so they do not hurt anyone, because someone can come with an HIV infection,” he averred.

He said the proper management of the medical waste was his company’s primary responsibility.

“This first phase of the vaccination exercises comprised Greater Accra, Ashanti and Central Regions of Ghana. And we have experts in these regions whose duty is to ensure the safe disposal of the medical waste,” Ing. Tengey said.

Ing. Tengey commended the government and the MoH for entrusting the handling of medical waste into the hands of his company.

For his part, the Medical Director of Suntreso Government Hospital, Dr Agyapong Poku, indicated that an appreciable number of people have been vaccinated in the region since the programme began.

According to him, the various vaccination teams on Sunday moved from church to church to vaccinate members.

“Also all staff members of the Suntreso Government Hospital have been vaccinated as well as people who reside close to the hospital,” he added.

He stressed the need for the proper disposal of the medical items used in the vaccination.

A lot of vaccination centres, he said, have been created to facilitate the vaccination exercise.

To this end, Dr Agyapong praised Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL) for their continuous support and more importantly giving them bins for the medical waste.