Kimberley - The body of a baby was found dumped at the municipal landfill site on the Schmidtsdrift road by community members who were rummaging through the rubbish heaps on Monday morning.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Dimakatso Mooi, said the police were investigating a case of concealment of birth after the body of a full grown baby was discovered at the dumping site.
"At this stage we do not know the age or gender of the baby. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death."
Spokesman for Sol Plaatje Municipality, Sello Matsie, said the baby was found hidden in a plastic bag and people living on the dumps covered the body with a cardboard box.
"The baby was found at about 6am and Platfontein community members alerted security on the site. While officials from the municipality were attending to the baby, it came to our attention that medical waste was being dumped at the landfill site."
Matsie informed the police, the Kimberley Hospital, Mediclinic and the Department of Environmental Affairs about bags of medical waste being dropped off at the dumps.
"Syringes, drips, drip bags, blood soaked cloths and medication were transported to the landfill site, which is not licenced to process medical waste. The illegal dumping of medical waste is a criminal offence."
He added that the vehicles of waste removal businesses, contracted to the Department of Health and Mediclini, were inspected at the site and were found to be transporting medical waste.
"Health institutions must enforce stricter controls before medical waste is disposed of as general waste. Medical waste poses an environmental hazard as airborne diseases can be spread while the underground water is also at risk of contamination.
"We advised our manager at the landfill site to put measures in place to prevent medical waste from being dumped at municipal sites. The contractors are also at risk of contamination and needle pricks, because they do not wear gloves when they handle the waste."
Matsie said:
"This is the third baby that has been dumped this year and no one ever came forward to claim responsibility. We appeal to anyone with information to contact the police."
People living on the dumps were saddened that a baby was discarded in such a cruel manner.
Spokeswoman for the Northern Cape Department of Health, Lulu Mxekezo, pointed out that the baby was not found at the same spot as the medical waste.
"Therefore it cannot be from the Kimberley Hospital. Furthermore, all babies can be accounted for at the Kimberley Hospital. It should also be noted that the public sector is not the only health care provider in Kimberley."
She said that medical waste was removed by a certified contractor and incinerated as per legislation.
"The requirement is that waste should be segregated at facility level so that the disposal can be done accordingly.
"We are currently investigating to determine compliance with the segregation and disposal of medical waste with all relevant stakeholders. Appropriate action will be implemented according to the finding."
Spokeswoman for Mediclinic Kimberley/Gariep, Denise Coetzee, said one of their syringes, without a needle, had been discarded by accident along with their normal waste.
"Medical waste is usually hand sorted, checked and disposed of separately. The blue sleeves are not classified as medical waste and are not in any way contaminated with any human by-products or blood. It is used to keep medical instruments sterilised."
She added that all medical waste are disposed of by Compass Waste, three times a week and was transported to Port Elizabeth to be incinerated.
"We remove about 12 tons of waste a month from the hospital. Normal waste is removed on a daily basis by a private company."
Coetzee indicated that Mediclinic Kimberley/Gariep has a three-year ISO accreditation.
"Inspections are conducted once a year to ascertain that the cradle to grave concept is followed from the time an item is used all the way through to its incineration.
"The last inspection was on July 26."
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