Bindura Hospital Unveils a Newly Refurbished Incinerator

The Bindura Provincial Hospital on Tuesday, March 26th, 2024, unveiled a newly refurbished incinerator thanks to a generous donation by the Freda Rebecca Gold Mine (FRGM). The refurbishment project has addressed a critical gap in medical waste disposal at the healthcare facility.

Since April 2023 the Bindura Provincial Hospital lacked a functional incinerator, following the breakdown of its older incinerator, creating challenges in disposing of biomedical waste safely. 

This category of waste encompasses a wide range of items, including used needles, syringes, soiled dressings, body parts, diagnostic samples, blood, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and even radioactive materials. Improper disposal of such waste can pose significant health risks to both humans and the environment.

Following the breakdown of the incinerator the hospital had to outsource these services to neighbouring clinics and other health services facilities. This did not only create an overhead burden but also a logistical and environmental nightmare. 

“Recognising the urgency of the situation, the hospital management initiated a refurbishment project to restore the functionality of the incinerator and ensure compliance with environmental regulations,” said Dr Gwagwa the hospital’s superintendent during his remarks at the officiation event.

Freda Rebecca Gold Mine then committed financial assistance, technical know-how and man hours in the refurbishment of the unit. The incinerator was refurbished to meet the highest standards of efficiency and safety. 

Freda Rebecca Gold Mine is a subsidiary of Kuvimba Mining House (KMH). KMH is a joint venture between local, government, and foreign investors.

“I would like to express our deepest appreciation to Freda Rebecca Gold Mine for their dedication and commitment to refurbishing our incinerator to ensure it meets the highest standards of efficiency and safety,” said Dr Gwagwa during the ceremony. “Your vibrant corporate social responsibility has truly transformed this vital facility, enhancing our ability to manage medical waste responsibly.”

Mr Patrick Maseva-Shayawabaya, representing FRGM, highlighted the mining house’s commitment to social responsibility and supporting the communities in which it operates. 

“We visited the hospital last year, we heard the incinerator had not been working for a while and we could see that the hospital staff were generally struggling without an incinerator of their own. The refurbishment of the incinerator became an obvious target of our partnership with the hospital,” said Mr Shayawabaya the Managing Director of FRGM.

He further indicated that the refurbishment of the incinerator is just part of their ongoing corporate social responsibility drive as they are also eyeing revamping the maternity ward at the hospital. 

“Whilst we were here we also took time to walk around the hospital and we ended up with two projects that we thought we could implement at the hospital. The first one being the incinerator,” continued Mr Shayawabaya. “But when we are done with the incinerator we need to revisit the issue of the maternity ward.”

The official unveiling ceremony included a speech from Joe Mupfupi, who represented Hon. K.S. Musanhi, the Member of Parliament for Bindura North Constituency. In his speech, he praised FRGM for the good work that they were doing in the province. 

“The greatest wealth is health,” remarked Mr Mupfupi. “And it is good to see that Freda Rebecca Gold Mine is reliving this old mantra. It is Minsister’s singular joy that through your corporate social responsibility you are not putting profits first but the well-being of the community.”

Benefits of the New Incinerator

The new incinerator will enable the Bindura Provincial Hospital to dispose of medical waste safely and efficiently, minimising the risk of exposure to harmful pathogens and contaminants. This will contribute to a safer working environment for healthcare workers and a healthier environment for the surrounding community.