Ecosteryl arrives in the Dominican Republic to treat medical waste

SEMINSA, a company dedicated to providing the best distribution service of medical equipment and systems with the highest quality, technical criteria, values and human principles for the health area in the Dominican Republic, has joined forces with our company Ecosteryl, allowing us to offer our know-how and experience in the design and manufacture of 100% electrical environmental solutions for the treatment of medical waste.

“It was very clear to us that we could not use archaic technology for such a modern sanitary city”. Marcos Dionicio, President of SEMINSA

How did the project come up?

This health resort has become a reference for the Caribbean region and the continent, having the most modern facilities seen in the sector so far, with state-of-the-art technology in each of its departments and services of the highest quality.

It was in this way that the Dominican government decided to entrust the titanic task to SEMINSA and its allied companies to make this project a reality, which has three hospitals equipped with state-of-the-art technology (high-tech medical and security equipment), general services for hospitalisation and advanced surgery, laundry, kitchen, warehouses, medical gas central, administrative offices, a modern security system and independent access, and of course its own centre for the treatment of infectious medical waste generated in this sanitary city.

An own centre for the treatment of medical waste

From the conception of the project, the idea was born to have its own centre for the treatment of the medical waste generated in this resort. The aim was to ensure that infectious waste would never leave the resort without first being treated.

Therefore SEMINSA began a worldwide search for different technologies in order to propose the one that best suited the conditions and level of the project.

The dream came true

As Marcos Dionicio, President of SEMINSA, says: “When we learned about the Ecosteryl technology, we immediately understood that it was the most appropriate solution for us, we did not want machines that used water, and we ruled out the use of an incinerator from the beginning, we were very clear that we could not use an archaic technology for such a modern sanitary city”.

Marcos Dionicio is a determined entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in the medical equipment sector; after several years in the health sector, he decided to complete his activities by creating a second company to provide design, architecture and construction services for hospitals. This is how the dream came true. Marcos’ companies were chosen by national tender to carry out the complete design, construction and equipping of the major project “Restructuring of the Ciudad Sanitaria Luis Eduardo Aybar”, one of the largest public investment projects of recent times in the Dominican Republic.

How did Ecosteryl support this project?

Ecosteryl, based in Belgium, offers a clean technology developed two decades ago: a process of decontamination of infectious waste by means of microwaves and electrical resistances, which is now installed in Santo Domingo, in the Ciudad Sanitaria Luis E. Aybar, pioneers in the region.

Few companies in the world offer this type of innovation and technology that avoids incineration and the use of natural resources such as water. The system becomes more sustainable than other treatments because the equipment does not use water, steam, chemicals or any other resource other than electricity.

This is how this technology becomes a 100% environmentally friendly solution, with a significant reduction in operating costs: 50% more economical compared to any other decontamination method.

Ecosteryl technology is present in more than 60 countries on 5 continents, and today it is strengthening its presence in the Caribbean through a state-of-the-art machine recently installed in Santo Domingo.

Specifically, the equipment now installed at Ciudad Sanitaria Luis E. Aybar, will be able to process all the infectious medical waste generated by the facility, without leaving its point of production; converting it into unrecognizable domestic waste, through a safe process, with greater traceability and more environmentally friendly.

In this way, it seeks to revolutionize the way in which companies and the health sector in the Dominican Republic manage clinical waste and protect the environment.

Pioneers in the region

With the entry into operation of the Ecosteryl unit, Ciudad Sanitaria Luis Eduardo Aybar now has the only technology available in the country for the disinfection of biohazardous waste by means of microwaves and electrical resistances, a process in which the waste completely loses its hazardous components for the environment and human health.

Two intensive weeks of operation and training

Ecosteryl staff have just completed a high quality mission in the Caribbean country, giving shape to this project through the commissioning and treatment of the first tonnes of medical waste generated at the centre; the local staff also had the opportunity to receive full training in the operation and maintenance activities of the equipment, so that they can be autonomous and continue with the optimal operation of the equipment themselves.

Melvin Liburd, operator and electromechanical technician, was part of the staff that was trained for 10 full days by the team of Ecosteryl specialists, he himself indicates his satisfaction with the process: “I am delighted with this equipment, my job is mainly to give maintenance to the medical devices installed in the centre, but now that I have received the training and I know the Ecosteryl machine, I want to stay operating and supervising this equipment”.

What about the future?

The Luis E. Aybar Hospital City is proud to declare that they have state-of-the-art technology for the treatment of their medical waste, which is why they will now start discussions to be able to operate the equipment more shifts per day, allowing them to offer treatment services to other neighbouring hospitals.

John Grullón, Director of the Department of Solid Waste of the Ministry of Environment of the Dominican Republic, also had the opportunity to visit the treatment centre and predicts a promising future: “We are happy to see the country equipped with this type of technology, which makes it grow, as well as its people, its health system and the environment. We want to see more equipment like this in the country, and the ministry is willing to offer its support to make it a reality.

“We want to see more teams like this in the country, and the Ministry is willing to offer its support to make it a reality.””

For us and for our future generations

Thanks to SEMINSA and Ecosteryl, a better environmental management of the waste produced by clinics and hospitals in the Dominican Republic will be ensured, without emissions, without using water and with low electricity consumption.

Effective management of medical waste is essential to avoid potential public health and environmental crises; globally, environmentally friendly disposal of medical waste should be the established norm; actions that are materialised by companies like SEMINSA actively seeking a sustainable and convenient way to manage the disposal of medical waste.

This is our commitment to the Dominican Republic and to the world, to promote responsible disposal of medical waste with an emphasis on the best available decontamination techniques, and following environmental practices that ensure the least impact on our environment.