The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) confirms that recent protest action has affected its operations in the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
The NHLS is responsible for supporting the national and provincial health departments in providing laboratory and related public health services, and have played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic in providing emergency diagnostic services and laboratory tests for COVID-19.
As the largest diagnostic pathology service in South Africa, the CEO of the National Health Laboratory Service, Dr Kamy Chetty, advises that the matter is receiving urgent attention and that the necessary contingency plans are being implemented with provinces to avoid testing delays, and to ensure operations resume as soon as possible.
These COVID -19 laboratory test results are required to determine if patients need to be isolated and to determine those who are at high risk. The data sets are used to monitor and track the COVID-19 pandemic to provide provinces with the necessary information to deploy the required resources. This is not possible at the moment for KZN and patients who are sick are not coming forward for testing, putting more communities at risk of contracting COVID-19.
NHLS Chairperson of the Board, Prof Buch, adds, “At the height of the resurgence, it remains ever important for all our testing facilities to operate at maximum capacity and for NHLS employees to perform their duties in a safe working environment, free from fear and worry, the safety of the NHLS staff remains of paramount importance.” Prof Buch commends the NHLS staff for their dedication and commitment.
-ENDS-
Issued by the National Health Laboratory Service
Enquiries:
Mzi Gcukumana, NHLS Senior Communications Manager
Email: Mzimasi.gcukumana@nhls.ac.za
Tel: 011 386 6008
Mobile: 066 376 3171
