Mystery still surrounds the origin of more than 5, 000 medicine containers that washed up along East Beach in Port Alfred this week.
The medicine, which is manufactured in the United States, is believed to be Diclofenac 75mg and Glipizide and supposedly came from a shipping container that fell off a ship along the port St. John’s coastline.
In a statement released by the Ndlambe Municipality on Tuesday, they confirmed that they had alerted the Sarah Baartman Disaster Management Centre and the Provincial Disaster Management Centre.
They said they alerted authorities regarding a "concerning incident involving possible shipping containers."
Community Protection Services Deputy Director, Fanie Fouche said they received a call from the fire station at 07:00 on Tuesday.
They reported that medical containers were found along East Beach.
"We immediately activated our Environmental Compliance Unit, which spent three hours on the beach collecting bottles of tablets.
"As you can see, the bakkie is fully loaded with containers,” he said.
The collected medication has been handed over to Port Alfred Hospital for disposal.
Fouche emphasized the potential dangers of consuming the medication.
He urged the public to refrain from opening them or consuming their contents.
Port Alfred Hospital Pharmacist Robert Smith said he learned about the situation through WhatsApp groups.
Upon investigation, Smith identified the drugs as Diclofenac 75mg and Glipizide, which were manufactured in the United States.
"These medicines were likely shipped to South Africa as part of an import shipment.”
Smith echoed Fouche's sentiments, warning the public against consuming the medications.
“It is unknown how long these medicines have been in the sea, and their stability cannot be guaranteed.
"If anyone finds any containers, they must be brought to the hospital for proper disposal.
"We will seek further guidance from the district and disaster management," he said.
Eastern Cape Health Department spokesman, Mkhululi Ndamase said the shipment was not destined for the Eastern Cape.
"We suspect that these were from a shipping container that fell off a ship along the port St. John’s coastline," he said.
Residents are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious containers found along the coastline to local authorities immediately.
