Following the discovery of irresponsibly dumped medical waste in Connor Street, we researched the correct way to dispose of your medical waste.

What is medical waste?

Medical or health care waste are items such as needles, syringes, shavers and blades. Once these items have been used, they have to be immediately disposed of. By doing this you are reducing the risk of harm to children, pets and the environment.

These sharp medical tools can easily cause cuts and punctures if not correctly discarded. Dumping this kind of waste in an open field can pose a risk of others contracting germs or illness.

“There is no proper way of disposing medical waste at home, hence the hospital is always urging outpatients to bring back their medical waste so that it can be properly disposed of,” said Estcourt Hospital‘s Public Relations Officer Zandile Gamede.

“We are currently in the process of strengthening our monitoring to ensure compliance by our outpatients,” she added.

If you purchase health-care equipment from the pharmacy or receive it from a clinic or hospital, check if you are able to drop off these items for disposal once they have been used.