Question NW13 to the Minister of Health
05 April 2016 - NW13
Nkomo, Ms SJ to ask the Minister of Health
(1)What is the total number of the national backlog of (a) post-mortem, (b) toxicology and (c) drunken driving samples waiting to be processed at the Forensic Chemistry Laboratories (FCLs) in (i) Pretoria, (ii) Cape Town and (iii) Johannesburg in the period 1 January 2014 up to the latest specified date for which information is available; (2) whether he has identified any measures to deal with the (a) recurring space shortages, (b) incompetence of staff and managers and (c) severe lack of manpower in these Laboratories, if not in each case; why not, if so, what are those measures?
Reply:
- (a) Post Mortem
(i) Pretoria
The post mortem blood alcohol blacklog –
- 31 January 2014: 2 422
- 31 January 2015: 3 890
- January 2016 to date: 1 564
(Decrease from 2 422 in 2014 to 1 564 to date = reduction of 35%)
(ii) Cape Town
- 31 January 2014: 3 527
- 31 January 2015: 869
- January 2016 to date: 1 222
(Decrease from 3 527 in 2014 to 1 222 to date – reduction of 65%)
(iii) Johannesburg
- 31 January 2014: 989
- 31 January 2015: 2 837
- January 2016 to date: 369
(Decrease from 989 in 2014 to 369 to date = reduction of 63%)
(b) Toxicology
(i) Pretoria:
The Toxicology backlog was 6023 on 31st January 2014, 6 537 on 31st January 2015, and 5 013 on January 2016. (Decrease from 6023 in 2014 to 5 013 to date = reduction of 17%)
(ii) Cape Town:
The Toxicology backlog was 3 658 on 31st January 2014, 3 406 on 31st January 2015, and 2 878 on January 2016. (Decrease from 3 658 in 2014 to 2 878 to date = reduction of 21%)
(iii) Johannesburg:
The Toxicology backlog was 7 658 on 31st January 2014, 8 007 on 31st January 2015, and 7 843 to date.( Decrease from 7 658 in 2014 to 7 843 to date = increase of 2%).
(c) Drunken driving
(i) Pretoria:
The drunken driving backlog was 11 890 on 31st January 2014, 19 841 on 31st January 2015, and 6 074 on January 2016. (Decrease from 11890 in 2014 6 074 to date = reduction of 49%)
(ii) Cape Town:
The drunken driving backlog was 25 933 on 31st January 2014, 12 856 on 31st January 2015, and 2 360 on January 2016. (Decrease from 25 933 in 2014 to 2 360 to date = reduction of 90%)
(iii) Johannesburg:
The drunken driving backlog was 29 589 on 31st January 2014, 26 117 on 31st January 2015, and 30 376 to date. (Decrease from 29 589 in 2014 to 30 376 to date = increase of 3%)
2. (a) The process of relocating the Pretoria FCL to the SABS premises in Groenkloof is currently receiving priority.
(b) Staff members in all the FCL’s are competent and they are trained on a regular basis in order to keep up with developing technology.
(c) Since the permanent appointment in April 2013 of seventy unemployed individuals who underwent a 12-month full-time internship, the FCL’s are not experiencing a shortage of manpower. These analysts are currently fully competent and working independently.
END.