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Kuala Lumpur: Clinical waste such as disposable plastics, rubber gloves and insulation gowns used by frontliners at health facilities have so far increased by 111.94 per cent compared to Dec 2019, which is before the Covid-19 pandemic took place in the country.

Deputy Environment and Water Minister Datuk Dr Ahmad Masrizal Mohamad said clinical waste volume would continue to increase to 173.25 tonnes per month within the next 12 months if the pandemic continued.

“This is considered a significant figure that can threaten the earth’s greenery and environmental sustainability if not managed properly,” he said in a statement, Saturday.

He said the Ministry of Environment and Water (Kasa) through the Department of Environment (DOE) and related agencies had taken steps to overcome the constraints of waste disposal efficiency, but there was still a backlog of clinical waste to dispose of.