Lok Nayak finds a vendor for its radioactive waste

Lok Nayak Hospital has finally found a vendor to remove its radioactive waste lying in its gynaecology and radiotherapy department for over 20 years.

Lok Nayak Hospital has finally found a vendor to remove its radioactive waste lying in its gynaecology and radiotherapy department for over 20 years.

HT Image

On August 4, 2011, HT had carried a report detailing how the hospital had been hoarding dysfunctional radiation machines, containers of radium and cobalt needles in the gynaecology and radiotherapy departments.

Officials from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) visited the hospital on Saturday for an inspection. “They have given us a report saying so far there is no leak as the material is kept safely but it needs to be removed. The BARC officials have also suggested a vendor to the hospital, and the latter have started a dialogue,” said Dr AK Walia, Delhi health minister. “The vendor has been given the size of the lead box in which the waste is to be safely carried out. Both the hospital and the vendor have started work on it,” he said.

According to Walia, the hospital had first initiated talks with BARC to remove the potentially dangerous radioactive waste in 1998, but the latter was slack in its response.