When incinerators were installed in the city’s two renowned hospitals- Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) and Ranchi Institute of Neuro- Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS), it was expected that those can be a perfect solution for disposing bio-medical wastes.
Ironically, with the dysfunctional incinerator the hospital backyard has turned into a dumping ground.
At RINPAS — one of the oldest and considered as the best hospital for mentally ill patients — the incinerator is non-functional for past few years.
According to RINPAS employees, the hospital authorities are reluctant over repairing the malfunctioning incinerator. Every day around 350 kg bio- medical wastes have been collected from the hospital which get dumped in the channel near the unit and burnt in open.
Though, RINPAS Director Dr KK Singh denied the allegation of burning the waste in open. “The machine is out of order and I have ordered the hospital authorities to get it repaired soon. They have also assured to carry out the instructions at the earliest. We do not burn the waste in open and dump it at the outskirt of the city.”
Notably, there are only three incinerators- (at RIMS, RINPAS and CCl hospital in Gandhi Nagar) in the State capital for treating 62,640 kg of bio-medical wastes generated every day from 145 medical facilities including hospitals and nursing homes. Out of which two of them are non-functional.
Interestingly, a new high powered incinerator worth Rs35 lakh which was installed recently at RIMS premises is also not working.
The new facility has the capacity of processing around 100 kg bio-medical wastes per hour thrice the capacity of previous one.A RIMS staff, on the condition of anonymity said, “The machine was operational in the initial months only. Now the waste is being collected and dumped in the unit and on the instruction of RIMS authorities we burn it. The place is covered with used syringe, cottons and rotten flesh emitting foul smell. No one can even stand there for a second. I tightly cover my nose with cloth before dumping the waste there.”However, RIMS Director Tulsi Mahto denied this. “It is a lie. Our machine is working and all the collected wastes are being disposed in the new set up incinerator.”
Responding to the query on his last visit to the incinerator unit he added, “I have not visited the place in recent time but I have been informed by the RIMS administration that the new incinerator machine is functioning at its best.”
Besides, the bio-medical wastes in many places are discarded along with general wastes.
Distress over the bio-medical waste remaining untreated in many places in Ranchi State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) has also ordered to ensure that the produced wastes are disposed of in prescribed manner. JSPCB Member Secretary Mahendra Mahto said, “There are only three incinerators in Ranchi out of them only CCl hospital incinerator is functional. We are extending efforts to exceed the number of incinerators in the city but land crisis has kept the plan on papers only. We have also asked help from the officials of civic body for the same.”