Cape Town - City laboratories are buckling under a backlog of 6 452 toxicological reports relating to children as a result of old lab equipment and shortage of skilled staff, to mention just two causes, according to the Health Department.
Health Minister Joe Phaahla told MPs, in written parliamentary responses, that there were 11 948 outstanding reports for children aged between one and five in laboratories in Cape Town, Pretoria and Johannesburg.
In response to a Cape Argus query requesting figures for city laboratories, Health Department spokesperson Forster Mohale said of the 11 948 backlog, 6 452 cases were in Cape Town.
Phaahla broke down the ages of children’s toxicology reports delayed in the three cities’ backlog. There are 11 948 delayed reports for children aged one to five years; 3 391 for those aged five to eight; 2 158 for children aged eight to nine; and 1 749 for those aged between nine and 10.
Pre-teens aged 10 and older have a toxicology reports backlog of 2 555 cases.
Phaahla said the backlogs are caused by old laboratory equipment that constantly break down, insufficient goods and services, delays in procurement and a skills shortage.
Freedom Front Plus leader Dr Pieter Groenewald had asked Phaahla for reasons for the backlog and how he intended to eradicate the delays.
Phaahla said: “The nature of the samples that must be tested, and the volume of new samples and a high incidence of urgent requests, causing delays.”
He said there were normally several samples in each case, which can consist of blood, urine, stomach content, liver, bile and a drug which all linked to one body.
“Additionally the import of certified reference materials to confirm and quantify controlled substances, is a very lengthy process which delays laboratory testing,” Phaahla said.
“The (National Health Laboratory Service) is streamlining activities in this discipline and the focus is on improving productivity to reduce the backlog,” he added.