The Institute, with the Embassy of Japan in Ghana, has commissioned a new Incinerator at a brief event on June 11, 2024. The Institute received funding of US$139,203 from the Government of Japan to purchase the modern incinerator, under the Japan’s Grant Assistant Human Security Projects (GGHSP) scheme.
During the ceremony the Director of the Institute, Prof. Dorothy Yeboah-Manu, disclosed that the primary purpose of the incinerator is to enhance the biomedical waste management capabilities at the Institute, as proper waste disposal is critical to ensure the safety of researchers, healthcare workers, and the surrounding community.
Prof. Yeboah-Manu mentioned that the incinerator is equipped with advanced features, such as the ability to operate at high temperatures and ensure complete combustion of biomedical waste.
“It is very crucial considering what we do at the Institute. One can imagine the amount of biological waste that we generate daily so as a center of excellence, we could not generate the biological waste, which will put our staff and the Ghanaian population at risk. So, with the aid of the Great Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects of the Embassy, we were awarded a grant of more than 130,000 U.S. dollars. We are happy to say that now Noguchi has the equipment to drastically reduce the waste that we generate here. We do not need to transport the waste to any place since we can dispose off and manage it onsite. Also, due to the very high temperature, whatever waste that we generate is reduced to a small amount of ash that we can bury onsite.”
She reiterated that the emission control system minimizes environmental impact as its large capacity and efficient design allows it to handle a significant volume of waste. It also has a user-friendly interface which ensures easy operation.
Also present at the commissioning, Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Mochizuki Hisanobu, gave insights on the incinerator’s abilities in adequately addressing waste management at the institute.
“The importance of biomedical waste management cannot be stressed enough. As a medical research institution, one of the most important aspects of your work is the effective and safe disposal or management of biomedical waste being generated because of your work. The Embassy of Japan is therefore very pleased to have partnered with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to provide this modern incinerator for the safe management of its biomedical waste” H.E Hisanobu said.
Adding that, the incinerator has the capacity to efficiently treat 250 kilograms of waste per hour and 3,200 kilograms per day. Due to the enormous capacity of this incinerator, I believe the Institute’s waste management challenges will be well addressed.”
H.E Hisanobu further reaffirmed Japan’s commitment in providing support to the Institute and urged management and staff of to ensure the proper use of the incinerator with good maintenance.
“Since the inception of the Institute, there have been numerous collaborations from both JICA and the Japan Embassy in Ghana to ensure the facility provides optimum services to the people of Ghana and the sub-region. The provision of this incinerator is a reaffirmation of our commitment to continue our partnership with the Institute to the best of our capacity. I also want to entreat management and the staff of the Institute to optimize and maintain this facility to sustain it beyond its lifespan. I strongly believe we will take good care of it to achieve the objectives of the project.” He added.
In her closing remarks, Prof. Yeboah-Manu noted that the incinerator will provide numerous benefits for the Institute as it will significantly improve safety and hygiene by ensuring proper disposal of hazardous waste thereby allowing the Institute to meet international standards for waste management.
She used the occasion to thank the Government and the People of Japan through the Japanese Embassy in Ghana for their continued support to the Institute.
