Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality (EMLM) has suspended refuse removal services for Frontier Hospital in Komani after the discovery of medical waste during the municipal refuse collection process. The Eastern Cape Department of Health is undertaking an investigation into the matter.
Municipal spokesperson Lonwabo Kowa said that on January 30, municipal employees identified medical waste at the Lukhanji Landfill Site in Ezibeleni.
The hospital was immediately notified and proceeded to extract and remove the medical waste. However, on February 4, medical waste was once again found, indicating that the issue remained unresolved. Kowa said medical waste is handled by a separate service provider from general waste.
It appeared, Kowa said, that the two waste streams were mixed—an incident that had not occurred in years.
“To safeguard municipal employees and the public, refuse removal services for Frontier Hospital will remain suspended until the issue is fully resolved. The hospital has been formally notified of this decision. The municipality assures the community that the affected area within the landfill site has been cordoned off, with spotters on-site to guide waste disposal vehicles to the correct dumping cells,” he said.
Additionally, Kowa said, waste pickers have been temporarily restricted from accessing the site until the medical waste is removed. He said the matter is now under investigation by the SAPS, and the removal of medical waste will take place once SAPS concludes its inquiry.
Provincial Department of Health spokesperson, Siyanda Manana, said the matter of medical waste, which was alleged to be from Frontier Hospital, is under investigation by the hospital management as a matter of urgency.
“The hospital subsequently established an Infection Prevention Control team that will inspect the waste daily to prevent a repeat of this, until the investigation is completed. Medical waste has always been removed by a medical waste company. Therefore, services of medical waste removal will not be affected,” Manana said.
The hospital management is in contact with the municipality and will set up a meeting to review the waste management protocols.
This will be done in conjunction with the municipality to ensure that non-medical waste is removed correctly.
“This incident incidentally happens prior to another company’s takeover at the end of the month,” he said.
No response had been received from the police at the time of writing.
