Right across Africa properly managed, or indeed any other, clinical waste treatment facilities are few and very far between.

News that the construction of a new modern healthcare risk waste (HCRW) facility has been put on hold by the City of Windhoek. Apparently, the City is having second thoughts about building the facility because the proposed site is too small to accommodate the entire facility. A new and larger area will have to be identified before the project can continue.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201304051013.html

Allafrica.com reports that the full project comprises a healthcare risk waste dumping area, a new fuel depot with a total fuel capacity of 78,000 litres and offices. The waste facility will process clinical (medical) waste from hospitals in Rehoboth, Okahanja and Windhoek. It is also intended that the same service be made available to private hospitals and clinics as well as serving as a back up for other medical centres, as and when required.

Sounds good, though the use of the term ‘dump’ for these waste sounds a little worrying, but presumably this has been properly designed and will be properly managed, and a need has been identified.

Whether this really is an issue of planning and a better, larger site is really necessary is not clear. Perhaps two sites, the Windhoek site and one other will be a better option. Getting on and doing something is, in these circumstances, better than talking about the plan until such time as it becomes so old it quietly fades away and never materialises.

Good luck