By Asante Ali
The Ministry of Health in partnership with World Health Organization and the Embassy of Canada has launched a waste management system meant to destroy medical waste in Juba Teaching Hospital, Tuesday.
The project, which took almost a year, will help destroy hazardous and pathological waste preventing harms, health risk in the hospital and the community.
The National Minister of Health Yolanda Awel Deng said, the waste management would help in the prevention and control of diseases as stipulated by the international health policies.
Dr. Fabian Ndenzako the World Health Organisation representative said key elements to properly manage the waste system is important as this would help in the maintain and management of the incinerator.
He added that trained personnel with the help of WHO will enable the smooth running of the system for effectiveness.
“The wastes are not separated in many facilities. There is need to work with JCC and other officials for the waste to be managed properly,” he said.
“There is need for sustainability. We need to encourage those outside the hospital bring their medical waste to be incinerated which the income can come to maintain the facility,” he said.
According to Dr. Anthony Lupai Simon the Director General for Juba Teaching Hospital, the system will improve the hygiene of the hospital, as waste will be properly managed.
“All hazardous material will be put here after segregation and be destroyed in a close area to prevent the waste from becoming a harm,” he said.
He made mentioned that the issue of waste had been a problem in the hospital due to no proper management system hence endangering the lives of those within.
“With this facility, we hope that we are relived and more things are going to be handled to reduce some of the environmental hazards caused by the waste,” he added.
He however added that there are other things to make a completion of the waste management, which are absent and needed to be brought.
He called on World Health Organisation to help in the capacity building of people who will help in the maintained and management of the facility.
15 people have been trained in the management, maintenance of the modern waste management system, which consist of an incinerator, pathological waste dumping station, a glass crasher.
The health facility (Waste Management System) is the first of its kind in South Sudan with a durability of over 10 years of good performance and also maintenance.
