A worker disinfects medical waste containers at Wuhan Beihu Yunfeng Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. in Qingshan District of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

The draft proposed better defining responsibilities in handling medical waste. Local health and environmental authorities should, within their respective jurisdictions, strengthen the supervision over and management of how medical waste is collected, stored, transported and disposed of.

BEIJING -- A new draft law revision under lawmakers' consideration has proposed strengthening the management of medical waste, especially medical waste management work in handling major infectious disease epidemics.

The draft revision to the law on the prevention and control of environmental pollution by solid waste Sunday returned to the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee for the third reading at its ongoing legislative session.

Medical waste should be managed according to stipulations of the national category for hazardous waste, and governments at or above the county level should improve their capabilities for the concentrated disposal of medical waste, according to the draft.

The draft proposed better defining responsibilities in handling medical waste. Local health and environmental authorities should, within their respective jurisdictions, strengthen the supervision over and management of how medical waste is collected, stored, transported and disposed of, the draft said.

Medical and health institutions should shoulder the responsibilities to sort and collect the medical waste they generate. Effective measures should be taken by medical and health institutions and waste disposers to avoid any possible leakage or spread of medical waste, according to the draft.

The draft also stipulated that necessary funds should be earmarked by governments at all levels for hazardous waste disposal in case of emergencies such as major infectious disease epidemics.

A previous version of the draft got a second reading at the legislature's 15th session. In light of the important role of medical waste management in the fight against COVID-19, suggestions have been made calling for more specific and targeted stipulations on the subject when opinions were solicited.

Based on the suggestions and opinions solicited, the NPC Constitution and Law Committee improved the draft, which also incorporated new changes on other subjects such as garbage sorting.

Xu Hui, vice chairman of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee, suggested the bill be passed at the session when briefing lawmakers Sunday.

Lawmakers will deliberate the draft in panel discussions during the session, which will run from Sunday to Wednesday.