LAHORE: The execution of a project to install three autoclaves to treat about 15,000 kilogrammes of hospital waste a day at Mahmood Booti continues to be delayed for several months due to various issues on the part of the provincial government.

The project, which will be executed by the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) and is sponsored by the specialised healthcare department, had been envisaged about a year ago during the tenure of the PML-N government following growing public complaints related to non-incineration of tonnes of hospital waste in the provincial capital.

“The preparatory work of the project began in January 2018. And by May, the company received a cheque from the government to proceed further. But that could not materialise after the interim government stopped release of funds to all the projects,” an official source told Dawn on Tuesday.

The Rs484 million project, according to its PC-1, comprised various components, including installation of three autoclaves (each with a capacity to treat 5,000kg of hospital waste), repair/restoration of the two out-of-order incinerators of Children Hospital, training/capacity building of staff, construction of yellow rooms for infectious waste storage in 17 public sector teaching hospitals and waste collection and disposal. Of the above, work on repair/rehabilitation of the incinerators and collection and disposal was completed; the work on construction of yellow rooms was halted after the interim government took over and ordered freezing of development funds.

“The work on training/capacity building of the staff will begin after installation of the autoclaves at Mehmood Booti. The work on yellow rooms is yet to resume,” the official added.

Under the project, currently hospital waste weighing 2,000kg to 3,000kg from Children, Ganga Ram, Jinnah and Lady Aitchison hospitals is being incinerated daily at the two facilities at Children Hospital. The waste generated by other public sector hospitals is being incinerated at private facilities, while private hospitals also have such facilities for their waste.

“Lahore generates about 17,000kg of hospital waste daily. Of this, 2,000kg to 3,000kg is being incinerated at Children Hospital and the remaining at the private facilities. And after installation of the autoclaves, the remaining 15,000kg will be treated at Mehmood Booti,” he added.

The official further said the new government had referred this scheme, as well as others, to the cabinet for a review. “At least three months ago, the LWMC completed the bidding process and awarded the project to a joint venture of two companies – a Pakistani and a Chinese. But, there were no funds available despite the fact that we issued a letter of acceptance to the joint venture. The funds were finally released last month and now the contract of the project and other relevant documents are being reviewed by the respective provincial secretary. Now it is up to the government when to allow the company to execute the project,” the official added.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2019