Department of Social Development and Community Services

The department consist of 28 staff members with Manager,Divisional Manager Municipal Health

Services(MHS),Air Quality Officer,Secretary to the Manager,six Heads(MHS) and eighteen Environmental

Health Practitioners

Core business

Municipal Health Services(MHS)(the management of all physical,chemical and biological factors,which impact on persons’development,health and survival)MHS-its aim is to protect,preserve and enhance the public health and safety and the environment through the delivery of effective environmental health

inspections,consultation and education,law enforcement,monitoring and oversight services to the hospitals internal and external clients.These services

include the following

Water quality monitoring

Water samplingImplementing health,hygiene and

education campaigns that relate to water supply and sanitation

Food control

Food safety and hygiene monitoringFood inspection at production,storage,distribution and consumption

Promote safe handling,storage and preparation of meat and meat product and foodstuff

Food samplingEnsures that food outlets that comply with minimum health requirement as per

health regulations get or acquire certificate of acceptability

Waste management

Even though District municipalities function is limited to disposal and monitoring of waste disposal at landfill site in terms of the waste act we should

alsoEnsure safe and proper generation,collection,storage,handling and disposal of

waste by local municipalities and community at largePrevention and monitoring of illegal dumping

Monitoring and give support to local municipality

Surveilance of premises

Environmental health impact assessment including housing projects and indoor air quality

Scrutinisation of building plans with regard to minimum health requirements

Environmental pollution control

Prevention of pollution of natural resources(land,river,air pollution etc)through

health educationIdentification of polluting agents and their

sources

Surveilance,control and prevention of communicable diseases

Prevention of occurrence of disease outbreaks through continuos health

and hygiene education

Disposal of the deads

Continuous monitoring through inspections of funeral undertakers,motuaries and parlor

Ensures that funeral undertakers,motuaries and parlors which comply to the minimum health requirements get or

acquire certificates of competence

Chemical safety

Ensures that spilage of chemicals especially during transportation is avoided

Ensure proper packaging ,storage and handling of chemicals

Air quality management

Identification,monitoring and control of air pollution sources,through inspections of listed activities and issuing of atmospheric emissions license to

the premises with listed activitiesEnsuring that public are not exposed to detrimental air pollutants by monitoring

premises with listed activities and ensure that such premises adhere to conditions stipulated by atmospheric emissions license

Minimization of impact of Air Quality pollutants by public awareness campaigns

Challenges

Limited kilometer s and budget for Environmental Health Practitioners and Air Quality Officer to execute their duties

Staff shortage due to limited budget and very slow recruitment processOther staff members don’t qualify for fixed car allowance even though their

positions are car allowance bearing positions and council vehicles not provided for them which make it difficult or impossible to execute their duties

Communication equipments limited to most staff members within the districtDon’t have own offices

Achievements

Air Quality unit establishedAir Quality management plan in place

Devolvement of Municipal Health Services/function Integrated waste management plan developed and on process of annual reviewEnvironmental management plan developed and currently on process of annual

review Municipal health strategic plan developed

Projects or Plans for 2010/11

• MHS information software• Development of landfill site • Air quality emission inventory• Review integrated waste management and

environmental management plans• Training of green scorpions• Arbor education and promotion• Working for water education and promotion• Municipal health strategic plan

Reports,awareness and events • Celebrated world environment day through community building

capacity and tree planting through greening municipality at Lephalale local municipality,thabo mbeki settlement on the 5th of June 2010

• Celebrated arbor day through community building capacity at Ham no.1 at Mogalakwena local municipality on the 29th of September 2010,and at Thabazimbi local municipality on the 15 September 2010

• Clean up campaign at Mogalakwena municipality on the 29th of July 2010

• Chicken pox outbreak at Thabazimbi,which was well managed and curbed in five days

• Twenty five MHS volunteers assisted in monitoring ,inspections and evaluation of vendors at Lephalale public viewing area during FIFA world cup