Alarm system for environmental treatment of medical facilities

(Baonghean) - Currently, the environmental treatment system of Nghe An medical facilities is seriously degrading, with toxic indicators exceeding the allowable limit dozens of times.

The common wastewater treatment system of medical facilities at the old General Hospital in Hung Dung Ward (Vinh City) is used to collect and treat wastewater for the following hospitals: Nghe An Oncology Hospital, Nghe An Traumatology - Orthopedics Hospital; Hematology - Blood Transfusion Center and Forensic Center. This system is being managed and operated by Nghe An Oncology Hospital.

According to the process, hospital wastewater is discharged through the drainage ditches to the rough filter tank to collect garbage, then to the oxygen aeration tank and then transferred to 4 block tanks for biological treatment and finally the water is transferred to the disinfection and conditioning tank to be discharged into the North canal system.

The septic tanks in the wastewater treatment area managed by Nghe An Oncology Hospital have degraded and do not ensure their functions.

However, at present, this system is seriously degraded. The wastewater collection system and surface water are mixed together. Part of the wastewater discharges directly into the surface water collection system. In some locations, surface water overflows into the wastewater collection system.

In addition, the wastewater collection system here does not have a uniform slope due to the asynchronous investment process, leading to wastewater having difficulty flowing at many points.

The air conditioning tank is seriously degraded.

The old manholes in the septic tanks are deeper than the newly renovated manholes in 2007 leading to the treatment plant, so a large amount of suspended solids will accumulate in the manholes, leading to blockages due to the large amount of sludge in some manholes.

In addition, the treatment equipment has also deteriorated. The equalization tank is built underground with concrete, without a coarse or fine screening system, leading to the situation where the waste easily gets tangled in the pump and damages the pump.

The tank’s current exhaust system is cracked. In particular, the four black steel block devices are rusty, the partitions have been punctured and are deformed.

In order to be able to fix and maintain the current state, these devices are reinforced with very makeshift bracing frames. The treatment system in the block tanks - the component considered the "center" for the entire hospital wastewater treatment system - is not guaranteed to be able to handle the treatment. "The microbial cushions in the block devices have completely rotted, most of the native microorganisms have died. Therefore, the pollutants in the waste are not decomposed, so the discharged water does not meet the standards", said Mr. Nguyen Cong Khanh, in charge of the Infection Control Department of Nghe An Oncology Hospital.

According to the data of the Department of Environmental Protection, the parameters to ensure water quality when discharged into the environment are not guaranteed: sulfide (S2) exceeds the allowable standard by 12.87 times; Ammonium (NH4+) exceeds the allowable standard by 14 times; Phosphate (PO43-) exceeds the allowable standard by 10.46 times. The total number of coliform bacteria exceeds 22 times...

The septic tanks are rusty and rotten.

Mr. Bach Hung Cu, Deputy Head of the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said: Hospital wastewater is discharged into the environment without proper treatment, toxic substances and harmful microorganisms in the wastewater will penetrate the environment, creating agents that cause many diseases for humans such as: digestive, skin diseases...

Dr. Nguyen Quang Trung, Director of Nghe An Oncology Hospital, said: The hospital also wants to fix the wastewater treatment system, but is facing financial difficulties. The unit has made many proposals to solve the wastewater treatment system problem. After the funding support is approved, the hospital will develop a plan to solve this problem.

At Nghe An Rehabilitation Hospital located in Nghi Thu ward (Cua Lo town), the hospital has 5 departments with 200 beds but still does not have a waste and wastewater treatment system.

Mr. Bach Hung Cu said: “Currently, the province has submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment a list of facilities causing serious pollution in 2014. After that, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will submit it to the Prime Minister for approval. The Central Government will support 50% of the cost of environmental treatment at the above facilities, contributing to overcoming difficulties in funding implementation.”

Nhat Le