Luke, my project manager in the field, sent me some photos recently to update me on progress on the ground in Tansen. I'm delighted to share with you now the new incinerator site far from the hospital beds where the trash was previously burned. Incineration is not a preferred means of disposing of hospital waste (especially when you're dealing with plastics and infectious items) but it beats littering the hillsides with it so long as you can manage a relatively clean burn with sufficiently high temperatures. I came across the so-called De Montfort incinerator in my research which is what we ultimately designed around.
Evidently, a waste management system is finally taking shape as well. Rubber, plastics, glass and paper will now be collected and recycled...for cash! New buckets are on order for dirty gloves and needle cutters will be sourced soon for the nursing carts. This is especially satisfying for me because I lobbied hard for these things while there with little results.
Though I'm sad not to see it, the oxygen generating plant that many of you generously donated toward is also up and running! There were some delays getting the oxygen plant shipped into India from Europe and on to the hospital. But it is now installed and providing a steady supply to patients in the wards and ER. Luke and my right-hand man Aakash are shown here after a project well done. So proud of both of them! I miss them terribly.
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