New consortium to manage medical waste in KZN
"KZN in particular has long been dominated by a single player."
A NEW consortium has been appointed to manage medical waste and disposal in the province.
The 100 per cent black owned consortium, which is led by Buhle Waste, with Makhathini Medical Waste, who have roped in service providers Ecocycle and Microvulintuthuko, replaces the single waste management company that has managed medical waste in the province for the past 20 years.
Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo met with the members of the consortium on Friday and congratulated them.
“We welcome the hard work of the Department of Health in KZN, that has gone towards finding a consortium that will deliver such a critically important programme of medical waste management, from the cradle to the grave,” he said.
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“This has always previously been a monopoly of white companies. For the first time ever, we are seeing an entry into the market of Black companies. What is interesting about this new entry is that it’s not just an individual, but a consortium of four Black companies, which is very important. When you have a set-up such as this one, you’re unlikely to create a monopoly. It is also interesting to note that within this consortium, there is a partner who is 100% female Black-owned,” added Dhlomo.
CEO of Buhle Waste Dr David Sekete said their main objective was to ensure the execution of Health Care Risk Waste management services with high standards of professionalism, compliance and operational excellence.
Buhle Waste services a wide range of customers. In the public sector – this includes the SA National Blood Service, the National Health Laboratory Service, Departments of Health in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Free State.
In the private sector, they do work for, among others, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospitals, RH Matjhabeng, private hospitals, old age homes, private medical practices and funeral homes.
“This extensive experience will be combined with, for instance, Makhathini Medical Waste, a strong new entrant which owns and operates a compliant waste transfer station as well as a fleet of 7 trucks and numerous bakkies. Across the country there is an emergence of black African players in this specialised sector,” said Sekete.
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