The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Facilities Management Department will be aggressively pursuing private hospitals and clinics to ensure that they use the hydroclave waste treatment facility, before final disposal.
In an interview with Clean and Green Guyana, GPHC Waste Management Consultant Rufus Lewis said although workshops have been held to educate private medical entities about the system, many have not been utilising this service. He believes that some of these institutions have been bypassing this process because there is currently “no legislation in place to compel them to do so.”
The hydroclave system is designed to sterilise all infectious waste produced from public and private health care facilities in Region Four, before it is disposed at the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill, reducing the risk of contamination among garbage collectors and waste pickers. “After the medical waste leaves the hydroclave, it is regarded as normal domestic waste,” Lewis said.
On Wednesday, Eureka Medical Laboratory signalled its intention to utilise the system, joining other private entities using the facility, including Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital, the Georgetown Medical Centre, Prashad’s Hospital, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Woodlands Hospital and the Doobay Medical Centre. Shawn Manbodh, Eureka Medical Labora-tory Deputy Quality Manager, said that the lab had not previously utilised the hydroclave as it had not been informed that the system was operational and only became aware of this in November when an appeal was made in the press for more medical institutions to utilise it. He anticipates that Eureka will sign an agreement with the GPHC as early as next week to start using the service.
Manbodh also said that in the absence of the hydroclave, Eureka took precautions before disposing of medical waste. It packs solid waste separately in hazard bags and liquids are treated with bleach and diluted with water.
Health care facilities are charged $675 for every 30 pounds of medical waste, with an additional $10 for every additional pound. Lewis said this sum is merely for cost recovery purposes in maintaining the system.
According to the press release, Clean and Green Guyana is an initiative that falls under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank.
