Polish Aid 2020: eco-friendly waste incinerator for Sultan Hamud Subcounty Hospital in Makueni in Kenya
21.01.2021
In 2020, under its Small Grants programme, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi supported an initiative entitled "Sultan Hamud Subcounty Hospital waste disposal project", under which we allocated EUR 30,000 to co-finance purchase and installation of a modern, eco-friendly waste incinerator at Sultan Hamud Subcounty Hospital in Makueni County in Kenya.
The incinerator purchased within the project is odorless and non-toxic, as well as environmentally friendly. Its installation has enabled the Sultan Hamud Subcounty Hospital on one hand to improve and modernize the delivery of medical services, on the other hand - to contribute to environmental action by reducing the harmful fumes previously emitted in the process of burning hospital waste. In addition, disposal of hospital waste in the incinerator will eliminate the risk of infection posed by infectious waste, including but not limited to harmful chemicals contained in expired medicines. By automating the incineration process, the staff's contact with viruses and bacteria contained in medical waste is now limited and the risk of disease or accident is significantly reduced. This is the second such modern waste incinerator in Makueni County.
Sultan Hamud Subcounty Hospital is a public hospital located in Makueni County. It was opened in 1963 as a small, one-building outpatient clinic. In 1974, four additional buildings were added and a health center was established with a pharmacy, laboratory, operating theatre men's, women's, and obstetrics wards, and several specialized clinics. The hospital has been expanded and modernized over the years. In August 2014 the local authorities decided to upgrade its tier to IV (out of VI possible in Kenya). The centre currently employs 147 staff and serves approx. 4500 patients per month. It has an outpatient clinic, maternity ward, operating room, X-ray, orthopaedic and ophthalmology clinics, laboratory and also offers advice on proper nutrition.
In 2019, the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Nairobi implemented another Small Grant in the same County, also in collaboration with the local authorities, within which we co-financed the introduction of an Electronic Health Record system and purchased 3 KTG machines for Makueni County Referral Hospital in Wote, the largest hospital in the County.
Attaché Iwona Lula paid a monitoring visit to Sultan Hamud Subcounty Hospital in Makueni on December 10, 2020.
