Question NW163 to the Minister of Health
29 February 2024 - NW163
Hicklin, Ms MB to ask the Minister of Health
(1)Considering the role of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) and with reference to a situational analysis that revealed that the NHLS has a spiralling debt crisis that currently sits at R1,2 billion, which implies that the NHLS is essentially operating with an unfunded mandate, what is his department’s plan of action to recover the millions of rands owed by Provincial Health Departments; (2) whether, in light of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, National Institute of Occupational Health, Forensic Chemistry Laboratory Services (FCLS) and National Cancer Registry operating under unfunded mandates without funding from the National Treasury, the shortage of staff and rotations, especially in the FCLS, contributed to the creation of a backlog in the turnaround time for sample testing and results; if so, has the severe backlog affected the SA Police Service in the apprehension of suspects and/or the conviction of the alleged suspects?
Reply:
According to the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS):
1. The NHLS is currently working and communicating with the Provincial Departments of Health to collect all outstanding funds owed to the NHLS. Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Free State, and Western Cape have cleared the debt owed for the previous financial years and are 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 they are paying for the current debt but not in full. KwaZulu-Natal is paying its current debt in full. The NHLS is working closely with KwaZulu-Natal to come up with a solution regarding the outstanding disputed amount for the debt prior to the 2016/17 financial year. Therefore, most of the provinces are paying for the services rendered by the NHLS.
The NHLS acknowledges that fiscal constraints will impact negatively on the financial status of the provinces and the NHLS. However, the NHLS has implemented tight financial controls to maintain its financial stability.
(2) The National Treasury does provide funding to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, National Institute of Occupational Health, Forensic Chemistry Laboratory Services (FCLS) and National Cancer Registry. However the funding is inadequate to meet the service demands so the NHLS has been cross-subsidizing the budgetary requirements for the Institutes and the Forensic Chemistry Laboratories to ensure an optimal staff complement and functional work environment to manage the current workload. The NHLS is not able to report on how challenges in service delivery experienced by the FCLs may have impacted the work of the SA Police Service.
END.