City tackles medical waste

A medical waste treatment centre, being constructed in Windhoek at a cost of more than N$66 million, is close to complete, the City of Windhoek has announced. The municipal council agenda on the table at the ordinary council meeting this week indicated that the Health Care Risk Waste (HCRW) treatment facility is 98% complete, and that the technologies were being test run since October.The City advertised for staff positions in September.“The facility will be income-generating through the charges for waste transportation and treatment, and therefore the intention is for the facility to be operated on a cost recovery basis and be self-sustaining,” the council agenda stated. The document underlined that once operational, the HCRW facility “will be the only approved facility for treatment of medical waste,” and “all private healthcare waste generators will be obliged by law to make use of this facility.”This is based on the solid waste regulations of the City, which stipulates that once the HCRW facility is commissioned “no other facilities will be allowed to operate or be established thereafter within the boundaries of the city.”Negotiations are however currently ongoing with the health ministry to get their buy in to use the facility for their waste.To date, no final agreement has been reached. The agenda notes that treatment tariffs will be lower the higher the quantities of waste being treated, but the “City however cannot bind the State and force it to bring its waste to the HCRW treatment facility.”At this stage, the city recommends a rate of N$27.10 per kilogramme for waste treatment, which will result in a cost recovery period of eight years. Non-Windhoek residents would foreseeably be charged N$33.90.The City noted that at a tariff of N$18 per kilogramme they could be charged, and costs recovered over five years, if the State agreed to use the facilities. A meeting was held with the health ministry according to the agenda, to discuss a memorandum of understanding that would set the terms for an agreement. The memorandum states that in the past, the health ministry has “welcomed the establishment of an alternative facility and has indicated the possibility of entering into a mutually beneficial agreement to ensure the waste generated at State facilities is disposed of safely.”At the ground-breaking ceremony of the construction site two years ago, City officials highlighted the issues with medical waste due to lack of sufficient facilities in the city.It is estimated that a total of 1 450 tons of medical waste is generated each year in the Windhoek areas, with about 725 originating from the private sector.The waste is currently treated at the Katutura hospital incinerator and some non-pathological waste is taken to the Kupferberg landfill site. The Katutura incinerator has often not been able to meet the requirements, and problems, such as a lack of fuel to operate the facility, have cropped up repeatedly.City officials had also noted a trend in the illegal dumping of medical waste on occasion.The facility aims to also cater for medical waste generators in the surrounding areas such as Gobabis, Okahandja and Rehoboth.In time, the facility hopes to become a “regional waste hub” and serve areas further afield.The business plan notes that the facility could branch out in time from medical waste to cater for specialised waste such as “bank notes, confidential documents, confiscated items, and police and army uniforms.” The facility will also offer transport waste as per the request of a client and at a cost to the client.JANA-MARI SMITHCity tackles medical waste

City tackles medical waste

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-31

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City tackles medical waste

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-31

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