“The discovery of used syringes and medical waste at South Beach next to Durban’s Addington Hospital are graphic symptoms of a dysfunctional disposal system that shows a deeper problem of inconsistency, confusion and a lack of coordination in regulation oversight on every management level,” said IFP Spokesperson on Health, Mrs Ncamisile Nkwanyana, MPL.
“Effective medical waste disposal is the first and foremost way to prevent unwanted diseases and untoward infection from medical wastes. There are laws that regulate the disposal of these dangerous items.
It is imperative for the MEC to conduct an audit on the handling of hospital waste because we are convinced that hospitals and other health-care providers, in an attempt to limit liability, are requiring workers to sign forms stating they have been trained in handling infectious materials after receiving only minimal training,” continued Mrs Nkwanyana.
“We call on the eThekwini Municipality and the KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo to launch a thorough investigation into this matter. We further call for strict penalties and jail sentences for illegal dumpers and a manifest system to track the route of hospital waste disposal,” concluded Mrs Nkwanyana.
Issued by:
Mrs Ncamisile Nkwanyana MPL,
IFP Spokesperson on Health, 078 302 3991
For Media Enquiries:
IFP KZN Provincial Legislature Media Liaison Officer,
Mr Phendulani Biyase, 073 024 5675
