Durban - Hazardous surgical waste – used syringes, lancets, drips and cotton wool – is piling up uncollected at eThekwini’s 90 municipal clinics as the city investigates a contract for its removal.
As a result, sick patients are being turned away and some basic medical procedures are not being performed.
The situation was confirmed by officials at various clinics across the municipality.
Most said their clinics could no longer offer injections, blood sampling or any other service which required the use of needles. This included baby vaccinations and family planning injections.
The company rendering the service, Compass Waste Services, says it stopped doing the work after the municipality failed to settle a R500 000 four-month bill for the period January to April.
Opposition parties are seething, saying it would expose patients and staff to “unhygienic” and “dangerous” conditions, their well-being compromised.
It is not clear exactly when the collections stopped, but a nurse at a clinic in the far north of Durban said waste in her clinic had not been collected “since around August”.
“The smell is really starting to get unpleasant. We were actually discussing it earlier. I know that in Verulam they have stopped doing circumcisions because of this,” she said.
Shontel Asbury, Newlands East councillor and DA whip in the community and emergency services committee, said: “Since July all clinics have been accumulating waste which should not be stored there for more than two weeks. All clinics have been continuing with services, filling containers beyond the safety mark.”
But, three months later, “this is proving impossible at some clinics,” she said.
Asbury suspected that the unpleasant predicament stemmed from the investigation of a contract by the city’s integrity and investigations unit.
It is not clear what is being investigated. The deputy city manager for emergency services, Musa Gumede, said the city was “not willing to comment further on the matter” because of the probe.
The Mercury understands that the city’s agreement with service provider Compass Waste Services expired in January, but the company continued to render the service until July when it became fed up about not being paid.
Asbury accused “senior management” of turning a blind eye and exposing the public to health risks.
“This is being entirely left on the nursing service managers’ shoulders – we can’t make a plan. The Occupational Health and Safety Act is clear – the employer must provide safety approved equipment for the staff.
“It has been recommended that they start informing the patients that they cannot give them any treatment that is invasive as they do not have the necessary equipment to dispose of the sharps,” she said.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi accused the municipality of “dicing with people’s lives”.
“The issue of not having a contract to collect things like surgical waste is extremely dangerous. It means that the clinic storages will end up being infested.
“The next thing is work will be given to an incompetent contractor. This person will recklessly dump it and expose it to naive children. It’s almost summer now; germs spread easily, diseases spread easily,” he said.
He urged the national government to intervene as it appeared the ANC’s regional intra-party politics was hampering service provision in the municipality.
Compass managing director Ian du Randt said the company had “exhausted all avenues” to amicably settle the account.
In his response to The Mercury, Du Randt attached correspondence between the company and the municipality. This included several contract appointment letters and invoices.
Upon the expiry of the initial contract, Du Randt said, the municipality advertised a similar contract in January this year and requested Compass to extend the previous contract until the end of last month.
“Given the magnitude of the outstandings of R496 596.88, we have been left with no alternative but to suspend service until such time as our account is brought up to date.
“In the majority of cases we have not been paid for 120 days … and with 459 staff members under our responsibility, suppliers and subcontractors to pay, we had no choice but to suspend the account.”
He said the company had extensively communicated with the municipality, but to no avail.
“As you know, the non-collection and disposal of health-care risk waste is a health hazard to the community and the environment and eThekwini Municipality needs to come up with a solution as soon as possible.”
He said he was not aware of any contractual dispute “other than the non-payment of our account”.
The municipality’s communications unit acknowledged The Mercury’s query on the matter. However, it said it would respond only ton Wednesday.
The Mercury