KATH builds modern waste disposal facility

Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the nation’s second largest referral facility, is building a modern medical waste treatment plant at the cost of 325,000 Euros.

The plant is nearing completion and involves installation of high temperature smokeless incinerator alongside the provision of 150 pieces of 240-litre bins and personal protective equipment.

It is being funded jointly by the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia and Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), both in Germany.

Dr. Joseph Akpaloo, the Chief Executive of the Hospital, said it would promote safer disposal of infectious, chemical and pharmaceutical wastes generated at the facility and other healthcare institutions across the Ashanti Region.

He announced this at the mid-year performance review meeting of the hospital in Kumasi.

He said the project, which was coming with technical support, would enhance the hospital’s capacity to safely handle medical waste - segregation, storage, transportation and final disposal.

Dr. Akpaloo also hinted of the installation of eight brand new elevators at the old “Gee” blocks to bring relief to patients.

He complained about the unhealthy state of the hospital’s oxygen plant and said it had become obsolete and too expensive to maintain.

The result was that it was making it impossible to meet the full oxygen needs of facility and therefore undermining its ability to optimize emergency care to save lives.

Dr. Akpaloo appealed to the government to move quickly to replace the plant as had been done for other health institutions.

He encouraged the staff to continue to up their game to raise the quality of healthcare services to patients.