Press Release - 13th
March 2002
Dramatic Improvements in Edendale Hospital
The number of red bags (containing infectious medical waste) generated
at Edendale Hospital daily has dropped from an average of between 250
to 300 to around 70 bags a day. This has resulted in a cost saving for
the hospital of between R35 000 and R40 000 a month. This is a significant
cost saving for this government hospital.
This is one example of the dramatic improvements in medical waste management
at Edendale hospital since the medical waste skills-share that was conducted
at the hospital in August last year by local NGO groundWork and
the international NGO Health Care Without Harm.
The aim of the skills-share was to help selected hospitals to better
manage their waste, thereby reducing the amount of waste generated, saving
costs and reducing risks to hospital workers and surrounding communities.
Edendale Hospital was selected because of the scandal in late 2000 when
nurses were found to be flushing medical waste down the toilets. groundWork
hopes that through the support it is continuing to provide to Edendale
Hospital, this Hospital will become a model “green’ hospital for other
hospitals to follow.
Dr L. Ramiah, the Chief Medical Superintendent of Edendale Hospital is
very happy with the visible improvements taking place at the hospital.
“I am very appreciative of the support we have received from groundWork,
and also commend the hospital staff for their enthusiastic commitment
to improving medical waste management in Edendale”, says Dr Ramiah
“I have returned to Edendale Hospital on numerous occasions since the
skills-share to assess improvements and progress“, says Llewellyn Leonard
of groundWork. “I have visited hospital wards and found that domestic/general
waste is now only going into the clear bags allocated for this purpose.
This was a change from during the skills-share when we found that the
special red bags (for infectious medical waste) often contained mostly
general waste. During the skills-share we explained that if the number
of red bags could be reduced the costs at the institution could be reduced
significantly considering that red bags are the most expensive to purchase
and dispose of. Currently, the red bag waste is collected by Compass Waste
Services who incinerate the waste at an incinerator in Ixopo.
Besides the reduction in red bag waste, there have been other improvements
in waste management at the hospital.
The hospital has started constructing a new building which will be used
as a secure storage area for storing red bags and sharps containers awaiting
collection by Compass Waste. Previously, the medical waste had not been
stored in a secured area, and there had been problems with people from
the adjacent community raiding the red bags for sharps buckets and re-useable
needles. While the new storage facility is being completed, the gate entrance
to the current storage area will now always be kept under lock and key.
The hospital has also started collecting all cardboard waste for recycling.
The Hospital’s Chief Pharmacist, has also started disposing of used vials
in red bags so that they are no longer taken to the general landfill sites,
where children sometimes play.
“When I reflect on Edendale Hospital, I always remember the past scandal
of nurses flushing medical waste down toilets. However, now my overall
impression about its commitments to better manage its waste is encouraging.
If we can succeed in implementing an effective waste-reduction program
at Edendale Hospital, we can do it anywhere else in the country, and I
am certain that it will become a model for other institutions to follow.
It will not be an instantaneous achievement, but it will require time
and patience, and in the end Edendale Hospitals as well as other institutions
will reap the fruits of their hard labour”, says Mr Leonard.
groundWork’s assistance to Edendale Hospital is part of groundWork’s
Medical Waste and Incineration Project. For more information please contact
Llewellyn Leonard on 033-342 5662 or email: llewellyn@groundwork.org.za
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