ABSTRACT
The increase in the number of positive COVID-19 patients in Indonesia shows that the Indonesian government has not been fully prepared to face this outbreak. As a consequence, there has been an increase in COVID-19 medical waste. This study aims to explain how the management of COVID-19 medical waste has been handled properly or not. In addition, this study aims to explain whether the government has prepared special efforts to overcome this problem. This research was conducted in the East Java region. This study used qualitative research methods. The data collection process was carried out through semi-structured interviews with several relevant stakeholders. The results of this study indicate that medical waste management in East Java, especially in Surabaya, has not been optimally realized. This is due to the availability of infrastructure, funding, strict licensing, and the low human resource capacity for medical waste management.
