One of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Environmental Health Practitioners was nominated for a national award following the rollout of a successful project to curb the illegal sale of poison in the Bay.
Heidi Marais represented the Eastern Cape Province in the National Awards in Pretoria tonight having made it through the selection process of the provincial Department of Health that nominated her for the prestigious Alfred Ndzo Excellence Award.
The Organophosphate Poison Project was started as a pilot in Uitenhage and Despatch in Nelson Mandela Bay and those working on the project won the team category of the municipality’s Bay Stars Employee Excellence Awards last year. The project entailed running workshops and awareness campaigns for the police, the community and street vendors to help the former identify the illegally sold substances and educate the latter about their dangers. The department of agriculture played a key role in the identification of these poisons that are originally intended for agricultural use but have been used for household purposes.
The project was necessitated by an increase in the number of suicides and patients in hospitals who felt sick after consuming the poison. It resulted in a number of poisons illegally sold for R2.50 per bottle being confiscated from the illegal traders with the assistance of the police and the department of Agriculture.
After the successful implementation of the project, the municipality decided a year ago that it be implemented throughout the bay. Marais was in charge of the successful roll-out of the project throughout the city this year.
“[Heidi] made us all proud for this great achievement not only for Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality but the whole of Eastern Cape Province.” said Phillip Dyakala, Principal Environmental Health Practitioner.
“We would also like to thank the support of everyone who contributed to make this achievement possible more especially the Eastern Cape Province-Department of Health and our Metro represented by our Executive Director, Dr Mamisa Nxiweni who was next to her when receiving the award.” continued Dyakala
Environmental Health Practitioner, Heidi Marais speaking at the Bay Stars Employee Excellence Awards last year.
NMB Communications
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