Not officially operational yet
Accordingly, Deputy Director of the Department of Health of Kien Giang province Do Thien Tung said, Package No. 51.1E: House covering garbage incinerator + Garbage treatment equipment (hereinafter referred to as Plasma medical waste incinerator) belongs to Kien Giang General Hospital project is invested and built in Chau Thanh district hospital cluster. The goal of the package is to receive, collect and treat centralized waste within the scope of the health sector.
Currently, the Department of Health is coordinating with the Project Management Board and Provincial General Hospital to prepare the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and apply for an environmental license to submit to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for approval. issued according to the order and procedures prescribed by law.
Implementing the direction of Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Nhan in Notice No. 238/TB-VP dated March 11, 2024 of the Provincial People's Committee Office: "To avoid waste and manage equipment, temporarily assign it to the unit to use. (Provincial General Hospital) for management and trial operation while waiting for the completion of official handover procedures for the project to be put into use. The construction unit is responsible for coordinating and supporting the user unit. in management, test operation and responsible for environmental treatment according to committed content".
The Department of Health and Provincial General Hospital have temporarily received and managed the Plasma Waste Incinerator on July 1, 2024 and have coordinated with the construction unit to organize inspection of machinery and equipment, and have a trial of burning waste. hazardous medical waste from July 5, 2024 to July 8, 2024 (burning from 30 minutes to 3 hours per day). After July 8, 2024 until now, burning of medical waste has been stopped because people around the incinerator reported bad smells and dust flying into residential areas.
The Department of Health also informed that the Plasma medical waste incinerator has not been tested or officially operated. This is just checking the operating status of the incinerator's machinery and equipment to serve the preparation of environmental impact assessment reports and environmental licensing applications.
The Department of Health is waiting for instructions from competent authorities to coordinate with specialized branches to complete environmental records and calibrate machinery and equipment to obtain environmental licensing before bringing the incinerator into operation. test operation and official operation.
The Department of Health accepted responsibility
Previously, on July 18, at the questioning session of the 24th session of the People's Council of Kien Giang province, delegates questioned the issue of medical waste treatment and medical waste incinerator using plasma technology by the Department of Health. Healthcare as an investor when operating causes smoke, dust, and bad odors.
Mr. Ho Van Dung - Director of the Department of Health of Kien Giang province - said: Regarding medical waste treatment solutions in the coming time, the Department of Health will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the status of medical waste treatment. at clusters as well as medical facilities that burn their own medical waste, proposing investment in upgrades so that the clusters can operate effectively.
For units with waste incinerators that have been invested in for a long time but are damaged and cannot operate or operate at low capacity, medical facilities will sign a treatment contract with a competent waste treatment unit. enough capacity and legal conditions to perform.
Currently, the Health sector has not been able to treat medical waste on a centralized scale across the province because the plasma incinerator has not been officially put into operation. The Department of Health and the Provincial General Hospital are waiting for further instructions from the Provincial People's Committee and guidance from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to soon complete the conditions to put the plasma incinerator into operation as soon as possible. possible.
Regarding the issue of plasma incinerators, in a written response, the Director of the Department of Health of Kien Giang province said: After receiving feedback from the people, the Department of Health also immediately stopped burning trash and allowed Store remaining (unburned) garbage in accordance with regulations and submit it to the Provincial People's Committee for bidding for treatment in emergency situations. Currently, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has established an inspection team to monitor waste treatment content at the plasma incinerator area under the direction of the Provincial People's Committee.
In case of an unexpected incident that affects people living around the incinerator area, the Department of Health shares with the people and accepts part of the responsibility, and at the same time researches a plan to soon overcome the situation. this situation.
