NHLS moves to halve toxicology backlog
The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has vowed to intensify a push to halve toxicology case backlogs by the end of the 2025/2026 financial year amid concerns over delays in toxicology services.
An initiative is being implemented by the NHLS with the goal of reducing the backlog of toxicology cases by 50% by the end of the 2025/2026 financial year.
The NHLS said on Tuesday that this initiative aims to greatly improve turnaround times for toxicological results across all NHLS Forensic Chemistry Laboratories (FCLs). The programme includes additional investments in infrastructure, technology and human resources.
Families wait years for toxicology reports
Last week, the DA in Gauteng raised the decade-long delay in toxicology report processing to its national counterparts in the National Assembly.
DA Gauteng spokesperson for health Madeleine Hicklin said the delays prevent families from gaining closure, securing justice and proceeding with burials.
The party added that this backlog stems from the South African Police Service (Saps) toxicology labs' failure to process specimens, with over 140 000 cases currently stalled nationwide.
ALSO READ: DNA backlog surges to 140k cases as infrastructure issues plague forensic services
'The effect on families is devastating; they remain trapped by a system unable to offer comprehensive autopsy and post-mortem reports because of missing toxicology evidence,' Hicklin said.
This is still the case even though the R703 million Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Laboratory is still not finished, the DA added.
Hicklin said there is a Boksburg North family that was promised a report for their son and husband in eight weeks, but it now faces up to 10 years of waiting.
Boksburg family waiting for report
'The merry-go-round, since then, has seen them shunted to three different Saps stations, armed with the mortuary/postmortem number, and now a 'verdict' that they might have to wait up to 10 years for results of the toxicology report,' she said.
The DA in Gauteng described this as 'inhumane' and 'criminal torture' for the mourning family.
The party said it has escalated the cases to the national Department of Health.
ALSO READ: Enyobeni tavern deaths: children were suffocated, according to toxicology report
The NHLS acknowledged these concerns and pledged to stabilise and speed up services in forensic pathology and criminal justice.
The organisation also corrected the DA's statistics, stating that the toxicology backlog is 40 051, with most cases predating the NHLS integration of the FCLs.
NHLS spokesperson Mzi Gcukumana said NHLS has purchased new high-output analytical instruments for its labs in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town to move forward with this backlog recovery plan.
Infrastructure, tech and staffing improvements
These instruments are exclusively designated for backlog samples, ensuring that they do not disrupt the processing of new incoming cases.
The NHLS has also hired extra technical professionals on fixed-term contracts, whose primary responsibility will be to clear the backlog, leaving permanent employees to focus on routine casework.
Gcukumana said it has expanded laboratory space in Johannesburg to establish a dedicated backlog processing unit, with parallel workflows to speed up submissions, and a similar model is already running in Pretoria.
ALSO READ: NHLS restores some critical infrastructure months after cyberattack
To ease pressure on the Pretoria and Cape Town labs, the NHLS is expanding toxicology services across KwaZulu-Natal.
All analytical equipment is undergoing a full technical assessment, with faulty instruments repaired or replaced, while a structured shift system and overtime aim to boost throughput.
Gcukumana added that, as part of its digital modernisation, the NHLS is moving to the TrakCare system. This move aims to enhance reporting, ensure data integrity, and provide real-time monitoring of backlog progress.
'NHLS aims to restore operational effectiveness'
'This initiative represents a critical advancement toward long-term sustainability and accountability within the FCLs,' he said.
'By enhancing both capacity and systemic efficiency, NHLS aims to restore operational effectiveness, strengthen public confidence, and reaffirm its commitment to supporting justice and public health.'
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The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
NHLS moves to halve toxicology backlog
Families wait years for toxicology reports, but NHLS commits to clearing thousands of cases with expanded labs and staff. The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has vowed to intensify a push to halve toxicology case backlogs by the end of the 2025/2026 financial year amid concerns over delays in toxicology services. An initiative is being implemented by the NHLS with the goal of reducing the backlog of toxicology cases by 50% by the end of the 2025/2026 financial year. The NHLS said on Tuesday that this initiative aims to greatly improve turnaround times for toxicological results across all NHLS Forensic Chemistry Laboratories (FCLs). The programme includes additional investments in infrastructure, technology and human resources. Families wait years for toxicology reports Last week, the DA in Gauteng raised the decade-long delay in toxicology report processing to its national counterparts in the National Assembly. DA Gauteng spokesperson for health Madeleine Hicklin said the delays prevent families from gaining closure, securing justice and proceeding with burials. The party added that this backlog stems from the South African Police Service (Saps) toxicology labs' failure to process specimens, with over 140 000 cases currently stalled nationwide. ALSO READ: DNA backlog surges to 140k cases as infrastructure issues plague forensic services 'The effect on families is devastating; they remain trapped by a system unable to offer comprehensive autopsy and post-mortem reports because of missing toxicology evidence,' Hicklin said. This is still the case even though the R703 million Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Laboratory is still not finished, the DA added. Hicklin said there is a Boksburg North family that was promised a report for their son and husband in eight weeks, but it now faces up to 10 years of waiting. Boksburg family waiting for report 'The merry-go-round, since then, has seen them shunted to three different Saps stations, armed with the mortuary/postmortem number, and now a 'verdict' that they might have to wait up to 10 years for results of the toxicology report,' she said. The DA in Gauteng described this as 'inhumane' and 'criminal torture' for the mourning family. The party said it has escalated the cases to the national Department of Health. ALSO READ: Enyobeni tavern deaths: children were suffocated, according to toxicology report The NHLS acknowledged these concerns and pledged to stabilise and speed up services in forensic pathology and criminal justice. The organisation also corrected the DA's statistics, stating that the toxicology backlog is 40 051, with most cases predating the NHLS integration of the FCLs. NHLS spokesperson Mzi Gcukumana said NHLS has purchased new high-output analytical instruments for its labs in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Cape Town to move forward with this backlog recovery plan. Infrastructure, tech and staffing improvements These instruments are exclusively designated for backlog samples, ensuring that they do not disrupt the processing of new incoming cases. The NHLS has also hired extra technical professionals on fixed-term contracts, whose primary responsibility will be to clear the backlog, leaving permanent employees to focus on routine casework. Gcukumana said it has expanded laboratory space in Johannesburg to establish a dedicated backlog processing unit, with parallel workflows to speed up submissions, and a similar model is already running in Pretoria. ALSO READ: NHLS restores some critical infrastructure months after cyberattack To ease pressure on the Pretoria and Cape Town labs, the NHLS is expanding toxicology services across KwaZulu-Natal. All analytical equipment is undergoing a full technical assessment, with faulty instruments repaired or replaced, while a structured shift system and overtime aim to boost throughput. Gcukumana added that, as part of its digital modernisation, the NHLS is moving to the TrakCare system. This move aims to enhance reporting, ensure data integrity, and provide real-time monitoring of backlog progress. 'NHLS aims to restore operational effectiveness' 'This initiative represents a critical advancement toward long-term sustainability and accountability within the FCLs,' he said. 'By enhancing both capacity and systemic efficiency, NHLS aims to restore operational effectiveness, strengthen public confidence, and reaffirm its commitment to supporting justice and public health.'
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Family faces decade-long wait for toxicology report after son's tragic death
A family's desperate wait for justice and answers after a tragic death highlights a systemic crisis in South Africa's forensic pathology system. A grieving family in Boksburg North may have to wait up to 10 years for a toxicology report after the death of their 41-year-old son, a father of two, sparking outrage. The family was promised the autopsy report within eight weeks in April 2025, but has since been bounced between three police stations and mortuary offices, left without answers. 'The waiting is unbearable, and it feels like justice is being denied to us,' said the family, too distraught to speak publicly, relying on DA Gauteng Health spokesperson and MPL Madeleine Hicklin to speak on their behalf. Earlier this year, their son underwent what was meant to be a routine neck surgery, which was aborted mid-procedure due to scar tissue from radiation treatment in 2010. Surgeons performed an emergency tracheotomy to help him breathe. For five months, the family endured ICU visits, ventilators, and repeated setbacks. 'My child could not breathe, and I was terrified he was going to suffocate and die. I was helpless to stop it. The day he died was the most agonising of my life,' his mother said. Adding to their trauma, the family had to wait two weeks before they could bury him. 'It was bad enough waiting to lay him to rest; now we face a mountain of uncertainty just to find out the cause of death,' the mother added. The family stressed that the toxicology report is crucial for them to find closure and seek justice. They were told by a police officer that it could take between six and ten years to receive the results. 'How can anyone accept that? We need answers now, not in ten years,' they said. The delays highlight a national crisis, with over 140 000 DNA and toxicology cases currently backlogged, leaving families in limbo. This comes despite the Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Laboratories, a state-of-the-art facility costing R703 million, remaining incomplete and unused, according to Hicklin. 'Families are being criminally denied answers. Prosecutions cannot take place, burials are delayed, and grieving continues without closure despite the Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Laboratories, a state-of-the-art building that has cost taxpayers R703 million and is supposed to be the new home of the most modern toxicology suite, lying incomplete and unopened,' she said. The family's anguish is intensified by both emotional and financial strain. The deceased's paraplegic wife now depends on full-time assistance, while their granddaughters grapple with the loss of their father. The mother attends weekly counselling to manage PTSD. 'We are struggling. Closure would help us begin to move on to our 'new normal,'' the family said. The DA has escalated the case to the National Department of Health, demanding urgent action. The family hopes their ordeal will shed light on systemic failures. 'We are not asking for special treatment. We just want the government to do its job and give us answers so we can finally have peace of mind,' they said. Responding to the toxicology backlog report, Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) spokesperson Motalatale Modiba explained that the department depends on the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) to process toxicology investigations. He also highlighted that the shortage of qualified toxicologists across the country contributes to the current delays. 'The Gauteng Department of Health relies on NHLS for the processing of toxicology investigations, and they are in a better position to indicate how they are managing the caseload,' Modiba said, adding that the scarcity of trained toxicologists has further impacted the situation. The GDoH provided data showing a significant backlog in toxicology investigations over the years. From 2007 to 2024, a total of 17 163 cases were reported, of which only 437 results have been received, leaving 16 726 cases still pending.
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Family faces decade-long wait for toxicology report after son's tragic death
A family's desperate wait for justice and answers after a tragic death highlights a systemic crisis in South Africa's forensic pathology system. A grieving family in Boksburg North may have to wait up to 10 years for a toxicology report after the death of their 41-year-old son, a father of two, sparking outrage. The family was promised the autopsy report within eight weeks in April 2025, but has since been bounced between three police stations and mortuary offices, left without answers. 'The waiting is unbearable, and it feels like justice is being denied to us,' said the family, too distraught to speak publicly, relying on DA Gauteng Health spokesperson and MPL Madeleine Hicklin to speak on their behalf. Earlier this year, their son underwent what was meant to be a routine neck surgery, which was aborted mid-procedure due to scar tissue from radiation treatment in 2010. Surgeons performed an emergency tracheotomy to help him breathe. For five months, the family endured ICU visits, ventilators, and repeated setbacks. 'My child could not breathe, and I was terrified he was going to suffocate and die. I was helpless to stop it. The day he died was the most agonising of my life,' his mother said. Adding to their trauma, the family had to wait two weeks before they could bury him. 'It was bad enough waiting to lay him to rest; now we face a mountain of uncertainty just to find out the cause of death,' the mother added. The family stressed that the toxicology report is crucial for them to find closure and seek justice. They were told by a police officer that it could take between six and ten years to receive the results. 'How can anyone accept that? We need answers now, not in ten years,' they said. The delays highlight a national crisis, with over 140 000 DNA and toxicology cases currently backlogged, leaving families in limbo. This comes despite the Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Laboratories, a state-of-the-art facility costing R703 million, remaining incomplete and unused, according to Hicklin. 'Families are being criminally denied answers. Prosecutions cannot take place, burials are delayed, and grieving continues without closure despite the Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Laboratories, a state-of-the-art building that has cost taxpayers R703 million and is supposed to be the new home of the most modern toxicology suite, lying incomplete and unopened,' she said. The family's anguish is intensified by both emotional and financial strain. The deceased's paraplegic wife now depends on full-time assistance, while their granddaughters grapple with the loss of their father. The mother attends weekly counselling to manage PTSD. 'We are struggling. Closure would help us begin to move on to our 'new normal,'' the family said. The DA has escalated the case to the National Department of Health, demanding urgent action. The family hopes their ordeal will shed light on systemic failures. 'We are not asking for special treatment. We just want the government to do its job and give us answers so we can finally have peace of mind,' they said. Responding to the toxicology backlog report, Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) spokesperson Motalatale Modiba explained that the department depends on the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) to process toxicology investigations. He also highlighted that the shortage of qualified toxicologists across the country contributes to the current delays. 'The Gauteng Department of Health relies on NHLS for the processing of toxicology investigations, and they are in a better position to indicate how they are managing the caseload,' Modiba said, adding that the scarcity of trained toxicologists has further impacted the situation. The GDoH provided data showing a significant backlog in toxicology investigations over the years. From 2007 to 2024, a total of 17 163 cases were reported, of which only 437 results have been received, leaving 16 726 cases still pending. Toxicology backlog: Of 17,163 cases reported in Gauteng between 2007 and 2024, only 437 results have been processed, leaving 16,726 cases pending. Image: Supplied
