Impending pathology strike: Motsoaledi must act to prevent another crisis

18 July 2017

The DA has written to the Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, to request an urgent intervention from the national health department in the looming national pathology strike.

The impending strike follows the National Health Laboratory Service’s (NHLS) admission that it would not be able to meet the 7.3% salary increase demanded by pathology professionals and their trade unions. It was only able to offer 3%.

It is crucial that arrangements are made with private laboratories in advance, as a strike at the NHLS will be devastating for patients in need of urgent tests for HIV/Aids, Malaria, Cancer, and Multi-Drug Resistant TB.

This strike could have devastating consequences, seeing that the NHLS is responsible for more than 80% of the country’s pathology diagnostic services.

Most of these patients have no other option but to depend on the public health sector to provide them with pathology services, which are key to identifying whether or not patients have life threatening and possibly contagious diseases.

The DA has also requested the Minister to provide a detailed plan of action in order to mitigate the devastating consequences which will be caused by an NHLS strike.

Past tragedies have shown that the national health department's inaction has been at the centre of too many crises in the healthcare sector.

These strikes, like the mortuary strike in Gauteng, can have debilitating implications on the healthcare sector. We simply cannot have another Life Esidimeni or oncology crisis as we saw in KwaZulu-Natal, which cost hundreds of sick and vulnerable South Africans their lives.

The DA will continue to put pressure on Minister Motsoaledi to ensure that the sick and vulnerable are provided with the service they deserve and that they are treated with dignity and respect.

Issued by Patricia Kopane, DA Shadow Minister of Health, 18 July 2017