IT is a daily occurrence to see black smoke being emitted from the chimneys at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.
And following a recent letter to the editor from Satish Nakched, The Fiji Times followed up with an investigation into the smoke that poses an obstruction for the nearby residents of Waimanu Rd.
A common belief is that the smoke is a product from body parts being incinerated in the hospital.
Minister of Health and Medical Services, Jone Usamate clarified “the incinerator at CWM burns all clinical waste produced at the hospital”.
“The selection of type of wastes that should be incinerated follows international standards for infection control and disposal of clinical waste,” Mr Usamate said.
Clinical waste includes blood, tissue, human organs and other body parts.
“Incineration occurs in a controlled environment where items are incinerated at a very high temperature to kill all microorganisms in the waste.
“Incinerators are used in hospitals all over the world and are the chosen method to dispose of the waste as it keeps the chances of spreading disease and infection to a minimum.”
by: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=334379