A congressman from Florida is behind an effort for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to install on-site medical waste treatment systems in its facilities, insisting it will help save taxpayer dollars and will reduce transporting infectious material.
At the end of last month, U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., unveiled the “Department of Veterans Affairs Creation of On-Site Treatment Systems Affording Veterans Improvements and Numerous General Safety Enhancements Act” (VA COST SAVINGS Enhancements Act) with U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., as the main cosponsor which would have waste treatment systems in VA medical facilities.
The two congressmen showcased the bill on Friday and insisted it could free up millions every year for the VA.
“Those who have worn the cloth of this great nation deserve our utmost care and attention,” said Denham. “This bill will shake loose tangible resources to bring improvements in veterans care across the country.”
“Improving efficiency at the VA means prioritizing resources for where they are needed most – caring for our veterans,” said Crist. “With this bill we are working together to make government work better and to put our heroes first.”
“On-site sterilization machines compact medical ‘red bag’ waste and destroy microbial life, rendering hazardous bio-waste safe,” Crist’s office noted. “Otherwise, this infectious waste is loaded into trucks and driven to regional disposal centers – a process that is dangerous, costly, and inefficient. System wide, this bill will save the VA millions of dollars each year and improve care for our veterans. This technology improves crisis-readiness and is safer, more efficient, more cost-effective, and more environmentally friendly than traditional medical waste disposal. Implementing this technology will align the VA with Centers for Disease Control best practices for infection control, and VA hospitals will no longer need to truck millions of pounds of hazardous waste to far-away disposal centers.”
Two other members of the U.S. House are backing the bill as cosponsors: U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Ann Kuster, D-NH. The bill was sent to the U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee. So far, there is no counterpart over in the U.S. Senate.
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