New treatment systems for hospital waste

Hanoi will invest VND80 billion (US$420,000) to install waste water treatment systems at 16 hospitals by the end of this year, according to director of the municipal Health Department Le Anh Tuan.

The plan, which includes installation of treatment systems at an additional 15 public hospitals next year, aims to reduce pollution from waste water at hospitals being discharged into the surrounding environment.

Tuan said more than 40 hospitals in the city did not have treatment systems for medical waste water, which caused serious pollution to the environment and adversely affected the lives of local residents.

Nguyen Quang Tinh, a resident living near the Chuong My General Hospital, said people living near the hospital were very concerned about pollution and related health issues.

"We can see black water flowing in the sewers, and it really smells," he said.

Tinh said his neighbours were worried waste water from the hospital may pollute underground water sources.

Some hospitals in the city use ineffective waste treatment methods, such as Chuong My General Hospital, where staff simply add Cloramin B to sterilise waste water before the water is discharged into the sewer system in residential areas.

However, Cloramin B is not able to kill many kinds of bacteria, including tuberculosis and vibrio cholera, according to the hospital\'s deputy director Truong Ninh. "In terms of standards, the hospital had not met the required criteria set by the Ministry of Health," Ninh said.

Nguyen Thi Bich Huong, head of the Finance and Accounting Unit of the Viet Duc Hospital, said that hospitals which had installed the required treatment systems were still posing a threat to the environment.

"Hospitals that cannot afford the expense of operating the system and properly maintaining it, may not adequately treat their waste," she said.

Thanh Tri General Hospital installed a treatment system for waste water in 2002 but has since been fined for illegally discharging waste water that contained many pathogenic bacteria.

Ta Xuan Son, director of the hospital said the treatment system could not process the large amount of waste water produced each day.

"The capacity of the treatment system can not meet our real demand," he said. "We have asked the Department of Health for an upgrade but are yet to receive a response."

Le Anh Tuan said additional inspections would be carried out to make sure hospitals are operating waste water treatment systems effectively.

The department had also asked hospitals to keep diaries on the operation of treatment systems, he said, adding that those who did not operate treatment systems as required would be punished.

"The measures for medical waste water in the city are not only about installing the machines but also related to the attitude of hospitals in operating these systems." Tuan said.