LAB STRIKE IN GAUTENG IS COSTLY AND DANGEROUS

I have established that the strike started yesterday by workers at the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) has shut down or crippled virtually all of the state laboratories in Gauteng.

The Gauteng Health Department has arranged with private laboratories to do the most urgent tests, but many other tests will not be done and backlogs will grow.

The NHLS will be pushed further into debt as they are supposed to pay the private laboratories for the tests they do on state patients.

It is alarming that the NHLS estimates that they will run out of money to pay salaries by November this year, largely because of non-payment by the Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal provincial health departments.

Private laboratories will not be able to cope with the volume of emergency tests should this strike persist for more than a few days.

Delays and other backlogs will grow, putting patients' lives at risk and destabilizing public health services.

National Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has been unforgivably delinquent in failing to sort out the management problems at the NHLS that have contributed to the strike. 

There are credible accusations of corruption at the NHLS and acting personnel fill key positions including CEO, Chief Finance Officer and Chief Procurement Officer.

The Gauteng Health Department claims that they have not paid about R700 million to the NHLS because they dispute the veracity of the billing, an issue that should have been dealt with long ago.

Urgent action is needed to resolve this strike as soon as possible and chart a way forward for a properly functioning state laboratory service.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL,DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 27 July 2017