Non-compliance with poor maintenance of infrastructure, mechanical failure of fridges and poor health and unhygienic conditions are some of the reasons less than half of the country’s pathology forensic units were not granted certificates of competency. Picture: Timothy Bernard/Independent Newspapers
Non-compliance with poor maintenance of infrastructure, mechanical failure of fridges and poor health and unhygienic conditions are some of the reasons less than half of the country’s pathology forensic units were not granted certificates of competency.
This emerged in a response by Health Minister Joe Phaahla to parliamentary questions from DA MP Madeleine Hicklin, who asked for the full details of the list inspection of each forensic pathology unit by health inspectors and whether all units have adequate personal protection equipment.
Phaahla said that out of 118 pathology forensic units, only 38 obtained competency certificates, 72 were found to be non-compliant and only 83 have adequate personal protection units.
The breakdown of non-compliant facilities per province is as follows:
One facility in the Western Cape was not issued with a competency certificate and another in Swellendam was not inspected. The facility in Paarl was last inspected in May 2021.
Phaahla said no certificate of competence was issued at Bloemfontein and Kroonstad units due to mechanical failure of fridges, poor maintenance of infrastructure, poor health and unhygienic conditions, as well as poor medical waste management.
Gauteng facilities were found to have poor management of medical waste, maintenance and infrastructure.
In Mpumalanga, fridges were not working properly in nine pathology forensic units while in KwaZulu-Natal the facilities were not compliant with health norms and standards, as was the case in the Eastern Cape.
The DA described the state of the pathology forensic units as a source of embarrassment for the national Department of Health (DoH), saying it was clearly failing in its responsibilities to ensure compliance with regulatory standards, including ensuring that non-compliant facilities have implemented plans to make turnarounds.
DA MP Michéle Clarke said inadequate forensic units hampered state institutions like the SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority in delivering speedy criminal investigations and ensuring justice in cases, including murder and rape.
“With the DoH still backing the National Health Insurance (NHI), the quality of our health infrastructure is not expected to improve, as a pooled budget, poor leadership and high rates of fraud and corruption cause further deterioration. We need to do better for our health-care system and strive for a national government and DoH which ensure that our infrastructure is maintained,” Clarke said.
Non-compliant units are also disproportionately affected in more rural provinces, she said.
“Equally concerning is that in some provinces, regular inspections have not taken place, including a third of units in Limpopo and an astonishing five of seven units in the North West, with no date provided of last inspection.
“The North West performs poorly all around, as only two of its facilities have been certified, with five of its facilities having inadequate personal protective equipment.
“With missing results, it is therefore unclear what the full picture is, but present results already paint a bad picture,” Clarke added.
Cape Times