THE Gauteng Department of Health is investigating circumstances that led to medical waste being disposed of illegally at a field around Ormonde, south of Joburg on Saturday, 11 November.
Health spokesman, Motalatale Modiba said the department reported the incident to the City of Joburg’s environmental health section to further process the matter in line with applicable legislation.
Modiba said: "The department was informed of the illegal disposal late on Saturday after members of a local community watch structure who were patrolling the area stumbled across the waste material which seems to consist of used syringes and what looks like medical files."
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However, he said it is not clear where the waste material came from and where it was heading to.
"The department has a track and trace system for the disposal of medical waste or files in its facilities and has contracted accredited service providers to manage this process on its behalf," he said.
Modiba said part of the investigation will be to establish if indeed the material was from their institutions and who was handling it so that appropriate measures could be taken to hold those responsible accountable.
He said the department has since assigned a service provider to assess the waste material to determine what it is and to remove it for proper disposal.
