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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, [email protected] 

GOVERNMENT, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is constructing a massive state-of-the-art incinerator at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, a development that guarantees proper healthcare waste management in the southern part of the country.

The project, which is being funded by UNDP, is the second of its kind in Zimbabwe as the first one is housed at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare. 

Speaking during a tour of Bulawayo hospitals by city mayor Councillor David Coltart yesterday, Mpilo chief medical officer Dr Narcacius Dzvanga said two refuse trucks have also been acquired.

He said given the capacity of the incinerator, Bulawayo and the entire southern region will no longer have waste-related challenges. 

Dr Dzvanga said the project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year and they have started working on recruiting staff to operate the incinerator.

He said refuse collection remained a major concern for the hospital as they sometimes go for days without waste being collected. 

The UNDP, through the Global Fund, availed funds to support the construction of an incinerator at Mpilo Central Hospital and Sally Mugabe Hospital to facilitate proper healthcare waste management. 

Healthcare waste is defined as the total waste stream from a healthcare facility that includes sharps, non-sharps, blood, body parts, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and radioactive materials

Healthcare waste contains potentially harmful micro-organisms that can infect patients, health workers, and the general public. 

At the moment, the available incinerators at most of the country’s hospitals are failing to meet the minimum requirements including holding capacity and temperatures to properly treat the waste.

Globally an estimated 16 billion injections are administered annually. However, not all needles and syringes are disposed of safely afterwards.

“It’s been a great tour and we are happy to be having the mayor who has been noting our challenges including that of water and waste management. The incinerator is going to be a waste management game changer in the southern region,” said Dr Dzvanga.

“It’s not only going to serve Mpilo, but the whole of Bulawayo and the entire southern region is going to benefit as we need lots of waste for the system to function properly. In addition to the building, our partners are also bringing in two refuse collection trucks, which will enable us to help the council as it is struggling to cope with refuse collection.” 

Dr Dzvanga said due to poor solid waste management, Mpilo Central Hospital goes for days with heaps of uncollected garbage which is a health hazard.

 “We are behind schedule as the incinerator was supposed to be completed by mid-October. However, due to logistical challenges, we now expect it to be completed before the end of the first quarter next year,” he said. 

Dr Dzvanga said the building has been completed and builders were now paving the floors.

“The superstructure is complete but the core of the incinerator itself is yet to be imported. It is not an issue of money but our state of preparedness because our partner the UNDP wants the equipment delivered, fitted and used immediately,” he said. 

Bulawayo city health director, Dr Edwin Sibanda said the local authority relies on small trucks to complement refuge trucks which were not enough to collect waste around the city. 

He said Bulawayo City Council (BCC) is failing to adhere to its stipulated refuse collection schedule due to shortage of refuse trucks.

“We recently received two trucks which brings our fleet to 14 but we are still far from having the ideal 30 trucks which we require to meet demand for refuse collection,” said Dr Sibanda. 

BCC is battling to clear heaps of garbage which have been piling               up in the city centre for months as it is operating with half its refuse fleet.