Incinerators lie idle at Tamenglong district hospital
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 11 2013: Incinerators purchased at the cost of several lakhs of rupees for disposal of bio-medical wastes emanating from district hospitals remain idle as if they have no utility at all for they have not been installed yet.

At the same time, large sections of people are being exposed to health hazards posed by bio-medical wastes.

Notwithstanding the Supreme Court's directive to dispose off bio-medical wastes in a scientific manner so that they do not cause any form of environmental pollution or pose health hazards, scientific disposal of bio-medical wastes remain a far cry in almost all district hospitals, located away from the capital district.

Tamenglong District Hospital is located 145 Kms away from Imphal and it takes eight hours for one to reach the district hospital from Imphal on account of the pathetic road condition.

Components of the Incinerators

At present, the hospital is being run by doctors who hold only MBBS degree in the absence of any specialist doctor.

At the very entrance of the hospital, one would notice different components of incinerator kept exposed to sun and rain.

The incinerator parts thus left unprotected were purchased by TP Cell in 2008.Interestingly, one part of the incinerator is used as a sign board.

It tells the direction of OPD.

Although a spot has been identified for installing the incinerator within the hospital complex, the Manipur Pollution Control Board contended that the spot was not suitable for keeping the incinerator.

As such, a new area was selected.

However, nothing has been done till date towards installation of the incinerator.

Like Tamenglong District Hospital, incinerators have not been installed in other district hospitals too, informed a source.

Within Tamenglong District Hospital complex, some pits were seen where used needles were piled together.

IV sets, bandage and needles were seen scattered in posterior section of the hospital complex.

Since an operation theatre was opened in the hospital, JNIMS doctors have conducted surgical operations thrice at the district hospital for the hospital has no specialist doctors of its own.

Just behind the operation theatre, there is a drain where all remnants of surgical operations were emptied into.

Incidentally, the drain flows very close to human settlement areas in the downhill.

According to the hospital authority, earlier there was a pit where all effluents and other liquids coming out from the operation theatre were deposited.

But the pit has now vanished after the area was taken over by encroachers.

The district hospital which has eight MBBS doctors and eight nurses have not been getting much medicines and other materials since the last couple of years.

Money earned from OPD is spent in purchasing medicines.

A conference hall was constructed within the hospital complex by MDS under NRHM but it was abandoned incomplete.

Banana plants were seen growing in the incomplete and abandoned conference hall.