The Makana Environmental Health and Cleansing section is investigating the origin of medical waste that was found in a Joza refuse site on Monday.
The Makana Environmental Health and Cleansing section is investigating the origin of medical waste that was found in a Joza refuse site on Monday.
A group of children were rushed to a local clinic for tests after they were found playing with used medical equipment including drips, bandages, sealed and used dressings as well as needles. No less than five children had to undergo tests.
Makana Environmental Health and Cleansing assistant director Johann Esterhuizen said the medical equipment had been disposed of in three black refuse bags and included respiratory equipment, syringes and needles. Apparently, 80% of the medical equipment had been expired.
It is not clear how the dangerous waste found its way to the dump near an Extension 6 tavern or who deposited it there. However, residents in the area report that a white bakkie with a government logo on it had dropped off the bags. Esterhuizen said that local clinics and doctors have denied that they are responsible. He said he is still investigating the incident and that "the last resort is to match the batch numbers of the medial equipment in the load with the dispensary in order to determine which clinic bought those products.
This is a serious problem as it is against the law to dump medical waste, doctors and clinics must dispose of their waste by their own means such as by incinerating it or sending it to disposal contacts in Port Elizabeth and East London." He confirmed that the children would be tested to determine possible infection.
Meanwhile, according to ward councillor Zonwabele Mantla, the children had apparently removed the equipment from the refuse site and took it to a nearby building. "When the children were found, some of them were wearing oxygen masks."
He immediately took the children for testing but nurses at the clinic told him to get their parents’ consent before they were tested. "The parents did not object and the children were tested. Fortunately nothing was wrong but they will have to be tested again after three months," said Mantla.
Mantla told Grocott’s Mail that he was dissapointed that a department would just dump medical waste at a public dumpsite and put people’s lives at risk. Children are more vulnerable because there are no parks in the township. The councillor thanks the members of the community who alerted him to the problem. He said he was also investigating the matter and following any possible leads.
Makana spokesperson Thandy Matebese confirmed hearing about the incident but did not comment further as he wanted to obtain clarification on the facts first.
