The National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) is saddled with a backlog of nearly 40 000 toxicology test cases at its forensic chemistry laboratories.
This was revealed by Health Minister Joe Phaahla in reply to parliamentary questions from DA MP Michéle Clarke.
She enquired about the current backlog on toxicology analysis at the NHLS’s forensic chemistry laboratories in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Phaahla said the toxicology samples were supposed to be tested within 90 days of the date the samples were registered at the testing laboratory.
“Any test not completed and authorised within 90 days is classified as a backlog,” he said.
Phaahla said multiple factors have contributed to the backlogs that developed at the three laboratories.
These included incomplete information on the request forms; inadequate infrastructure; ageing analytic equipment; interruptions in power supply; inadequate water supply; the Covid-19 epidemic and shortages in human resources.
“The current backlog at the Cape Town Forensic Chemistry laboratory is 6792 cases with the Johannesburg and Pretoria laboratories at 15358 and 16824 cases, respectively,” he said.
Phaahla said the NHLS was increasing laboratory processing capacity to analyse samples and ensure the optimal use of resources within the laboratories.
It was also acquiring additional laboratory space in Pretoria to process both toxicology and blood alcohol samples.
“New posts for toxicology analysts were created for the new laboratories in Pretoria.
“The new toxicology laboratory will analyse new cases and the old laboratory will focus on the backlogged cases only.”
Similar plans were in the process to increase laboratory capacity for toxicology cases at the Johannesburg and Cape Town laboratories and to offer a toxicology services at the Durban laboratory.
A new building has been identified to accommodate further expansion of the Johannesburg forensic chemistry laboratory and the procurement of new analytic instruments was under way.
Phaahla said the NHLS was still in the process of identifying a suitable facility for the Durban forensic chemistry lab that would accommodate a new toxicology section.
The NHLS, in conjunction with the forensic pathology services in the Department of Health, was developing strategies to address ageing samples in the backlog and how to best manage these samples, Phaahla said.
“It is difficult to estimate when the backlog will be eradicated.
“However, the NHLS remains committed to improving service delivery at all four forensic chemistry laboratories and to accelerating the reduction of the toxicology backlogs at these laboratories,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NHLS was currently working and communicating with the provincial Departments of Health to collect all outstanding funds owed to it.
The entity is owed R1.2billion by the provinces.
Phaahla said the NHLS acknowledged that fiscal constraints would impact negatively on the financial status of the provinces as well as the NHLS.
“The NHLS has implemented tight financial controls to maintain its financial stability,” he said.
“Most of the provinces are paying for the services rendered by the NHLS,” Phaahla said.
The Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Free State have cleared the debt owed for the previous financial years and were paying their current debt timeously.
North West has cleared most of its historic debt and is paying towards the current debt.
Gauteng has settled most of its historic debt and is now paying for the current debt, but not in full.
KwaZulu-Natal is paying its current debt and the NHLS was working closely with the province to reach a solution regarding the outstanding disputed amount for the debt prior to the 2016/17 financial year.
Cape Times