National Kidney Center started managing its health care waste in 1999 and it is a pioneer in health care waste management in Nepal.
Waste Storage Area
Autoclave used for treating waste
To date, the activities and achievements at National Kidney Center are:
- Safe health care waste management implemented in all the units-with a governance structure and system in place for safe waste segregation, transportation, treatment using autoclave technology, and recycling.
- Practices safe injection and safe handling of sharps with the use of needle destroyers and needle cutters in all the units.
- Mercury-free health care equipments used in all the units.
- Fully functional Waste Treatment and Storage Center with a validated pre-vacuum autoclave.
- 64 % of its waste is now recycled generating about USD 230 per month
- To promote the use of clean, renewable energy sources and reduce its carbon footprint, NKC has established a satellite dialysis Center in Chitwan District which is running fully on solar energy.
- Member of the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network in 2013.
" We are a health care center and we are working tirelessly to improve people's health. Therefore, it is critical that the disposable of our waste do not harm the same people that we treat."
Dr.Rishi Kumar Kafle
President of HECAF & Executive Director of National Kidney Center
"When the NKC was established in 1997, the medical waste generated after dialysis was one of the main issues for us. How can we dispose the huge amount of waste safely without harming the staff that works here, the patients, the community and the environment ?
There was no one work on this issue in Nepal at that time, so in 1999,I studied the World Health Organization Handbook on Safe Health Care waste Management, which was just published and I started implementing the suggested system at the NKC.
I designed and supervised the construction of the Waste Treatment and Storage Center where infectious waste is autoclaved and recyclables stored. I managed to get a faculty autoclave that was donated to Mission Hospital, and repaired it with the help of biomedical technicians of NKC. I then worked with the NKC staff to plan and implement the waste management system throughout the center.
From the experience and lessons learned here, I led the establishment of model health care waste management system at Bir Hospital in 2010. one of the oldest hospital in Nepal.
Today, I am proud that we have established model system that other hospitals can adopt.
Er.Mahesh Nakarmi, Founder Member (Health Care Foundation Nepal)
