Waste disposal

It was appalling to find out that Islamabad’s PIMS hospital, the largest government hospital in the capital, doesn’t have an incinerator. As a result, hospital waste is sent to the Attock Refinery Limited-owned company for its safe disposal. This outsourcing increases the hospital’s cost of operations. It is not only PIMS hospital which doesn’t have an incinerator, but other hospitals in the capital are also without proper incinerators. In the absence of a well-equipped incinerator, hospital waste is sometimes burnt in the open, leading to environmental pollution.

The healthcare authorities must visit all major hospitals in Islamabad and provide incinerators to each of them. Similarly, provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan must ensure that each hospital is equipped with one incinerator at least. Keeping in view the high demand of incinerators, it is suggested that the government works towards manufacturing the equipment locally so that it can be made available at cheaper rates.

Engr Riaz Akbar

Wah Cantt