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Date
: 25/08/2003
Source: Department of Health
Title: Tshabalala-Msimang: Gala dinner at International Healthcare
Waste Management Conference
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF HEALTH, DR MANTO TSHABALALA-MSIMANG, AT
THE GALA DINNER AT THE INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CARE WASTE MANAGEMENT
CONFERENCE, Sandton Convention Centre, 25 August 2003
Greetings
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for getting this
opportunity to address you this evening as you meet here in
Johannesburg to look at the challenges of health care waste
management.
Waste management, in general, has been a challenge in South Africa.
We have seen episodes of waste being dumped in open areas and also
landfill sites which have been poorly managed, thus leading to
waste being discarded all over the place and creating a hazard to
human health.
Land is also becoming a scarce resource to accommodate the proper
disposal of waste. Presently in Gauteng province alone, about 1 200
tons of waste are produced every month from all the provincial,
private and municipal institutions.
Health Care Waste is another category of waste that is generated in
our country, through both public and private health Institutions.
As the Department of Health we have an obligation to render health
services to the general public and it is in the process of
rendering these services that health care waste is generated.
Health Care Waste is considered and classified as hazardous because
of the health risk to humans and this poses an extra challenge to
its management. Special landfill sites are needed to dispose of
this kind of waste.
There have been cases where health care waste has been found in
open dumps. This could be attributed to lack of information and
awareness about the risk posed by health care waste or sometimes a
mere disregard for the law. Poor management of health care waste
lead to serious health problems including injuries that can lead to
HIV and other infections. Health care waste poses a particular
threat to children who may suffer severe health consequences when
exposed to health care waste.
In this country, the mostly used method for health care waste
disposal is through incineration. It is appreciated that in this
province of Gauteng, Minimum Requirements for management of Health
Care Risk Waste (HCRW) have been developed. All health care waste
incinerators must comply with the requirements set by the
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). This is a
challenge that the Department of Health needs to address and come
up with alternative measures for the disposal of Health Care Waste
especially in our rural clinics.
Rural areas are particularly vulnerable to the challenges of poor
health care waste management. In some of these areas, it is not
possible to have central incineration because of the long distances
between health institutions.
An agreement was reached in 2001 between the Health Department and
Department of Environmental Affairs on minimum standards for
small-scale incinerators that can be utilised in the rural clinics.
We have an extensive programme of this nature that is running in
the Limpopo Province.
Strategic framework has been developed during the Health Care Waste
Indaba, which was held in April 2003, in conjunction with
Department of Environmental Affairs. There were many undertakings
including the critical need for cooperation between the regions in
implementing the set strategic plan. What is now important is to
ensure that resources are made available for implementation of
these good policies for them to ultimately benefit the general
public.
Training of health personnel and waste handlers should be enforced
to ensure that Health Care Waste is properly managed. Where Health
Care Waste management has been outsourced to private companies, the
Department of Health should monitor and have a database of these
operations or keep record of the activities.
With the proper management of health care waste, we will be able to
improve the working conditions of health personnel. We need to
provide more meaningful equipment and training support. We can also
reduce costs of health care waste disposal by segregating waste
better and by this, protect the health of the public particularly
those who may interfere with communal landfill sites.
Health Care Waste can only be effectively managed through the
participation of all stakeholders from both the private and public
sector. Therefore, we all have to work together to address this
challenge.
In conclusion, I would like to congratulate the organizers of this
Conference for taking this initiative of addressing Health Care
Waste management problems. The National Department of Health fully
supports this initiative and we regard it as of critical importance
to the health sector.
I hope this Conference will create awareness of the problems and
challenges facing Health Care Waste management not only in South
Africa but also in SADC and Africa as a whole. I am confident that
as health care personnel and experts in Health Care Waste
Management, you will come up with appropriate and practical
strategies and action plan to address this challenge.
I thank you
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
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