The State Environmental Protection Administration has issued a regulation on dealing with medical waste in an effort to standardize disposal especially during the occurrence of some contagious diseases.

The regulation stressed that during an outbreak of severe contagious diseases, the disposal of medical waste should be carried out by special personnel, who must wear protective uniforms, boots, hats and surgical masks.

The regulation requires that medical waste should be stored in exclusive places, which should be kept separate from food processing areas and staff residences.

Wastewater discharged from medical waste storage during disinfecting should be channeled to a special sanitizing system, and can not be directly discharged into the ordinary sewerage system.

(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2004)