uel (proposed not launched).
- This system would stand as the paragon of environmental sustainability practices in Achham.
- In a few years, it was projected that this program would fully fund itself.
How the System Works (from the perspective of a waste-generating individual):
At two select exterior locations (the main Outpatient Department double doors, Inpatient Department, and the Emergency Room door) you can find the full monty: a commingled paper/plastic bin, bottle/can recycling, and biodegradable composting bins. To supplement the main locations listed above, paper/plastic bins are placed in about every room. For clinical staff, waste management trolleys were custom-fabricated by a local welder. They hold 4 large bins, 4 smaller bins, and 2 micro bins. These carts can be found in two locations: Emergency Room (ER), and Inpatient Department (IPD). The clinical staff should be able to easily decide the proper receptacle of waste generated, based on the following labeled bins: “infectious, syringe style glass medicine container, needle, syringe, plastic odd ends/plastic tubing and non infectious waste bins.”
In the canteen, they have been issued 2 extra large bins, for bio-degradable compost and commingled paper/plastic, as well as a 3 outdoor, aerated composting containers. The dirt from these compost bins was envisioned to eventually go to a garden that would grow vegetables to be cooked at the canteen. Lastly, once all previous stages had been completed, a “Biodigestor” would be installed. As very few people fully grasp how this system works, I will cite the Biodigestor website: “You put cow manure in one end and get out usable cooking gas and organic fertilizer. The odorless gas is piped into the kitchen where it can be burned for 4-5hrs a day, replacing the need to collect firewood. The liquid fertilizer is rich in nutrients to boost crop production. And, the patio is no longer littered with cow manure. Biodigestors are relatively simple to construct and made with cheap local materials.” At the hospital, there is no shortage of cow manure.
Unforeseen Shortcomings of the Waste Management System – Part 3:
The final cost of this project was far greater than the expected/approved cost. The system’s tangible goods include but are not limited to: a mid-sized room, an outbuilding attached to designated room, signage, waste buckets, 2 rolling waste trolleys, 2 autoclaves, digital thermometers, rubber gloves, landscaping tools, shelving, aprons, masks, trash bags, and 3 additional staff.
There is a recurring cost of autoclaving used needles pre-burial, and ideally there is sufficient electricity to run an electric autoclave. However, from what a waste management staff member tells me, electricity is not available as often as you would think, and therefore they must occasionally run a generator to supply power to the autoclave (they now have the old hospital gasoline based generator for this). At 150 rupees per liter (about 25% more than US prices) this practice can get a touch spendy to prep garbage before its buried. The other option is to use the second autoclave, which is propane based, and which we have the supplies to run but propane is not cheap either. The details of how often this autoclave is used and any particulars about this method were unfortunately lost in a series of conversational tangents.
When viewing the storage outbuilding for the sorted and baled recyclables, you cannot help but notice that each partitioned segment intended for a certain type of waste was overflowing; literally spilling over the top and now building up around the exterior of the shed and canteen building. After a brief talk with the waste management staff, it came to my attention that the “business” from Dhangadhi has never come to hospital to pick up or purchase the processed material, despite being contacted on a regular basis.
As for the composting it has completely fallen into obscurity and I cannot even find the containers despite much searching. The canteen staff now feed the cows with the compostable material. The nonexistenc