SA’s forensic laboratories don’t pass the health test

The national health department has confirmed that over 40 forensic pathologist laboratories across the country do not comply with health standards, with broken fridges and unhygienic conditions among the complaints.

South Africa has more than 100 labs where investigations into deaths are conducted and reports are issued.

These services have been crucial in countless court cases, but delays and complaints about the condition of these facilities have often made headlines.

In March, the Gauteng health department confirmed that there were over 17 000 toxicology cases, some dating back to 2007, still pending.

This has led to long waits for estates and insurance claims, but also a lack of closure for family members.

In answer to a parliamentary question on the condition of labs across the country, Health Minister Joe Phaahla provided a list of the facilities and the outcomes of its latest inspections.

It listed 46 of the 118 facilities (38.9%) mentioned as not being up to scratch and 16 facilities not having adequate personal protection equipment.

Some of the other reasons for not making the grade included “poor maintenance”, “fridges not working properly”, “poor infrastructure”, “poor management of medical waste”, “poor housekeeping” and “unhygienic conditions”.

The Sasolburg lab in the Free State, the Lydenburg lab in Mpumalanga, and Mossel Bay and Worcester in the Western Cape were not inspected in the past year.

Witbank in Mpumalanga and Kimberley in the Northern Cape were last checked in 2022, while a facility in Paarl in the Western Cape, and uMzimkhulu and Ixopo mortuaries in KwaZulu-Natal were last checked in 2021.

Kokstad Forensic Mortuary in KZN was last inspected in 2020 and the KwaMhlanga lab in Mpumalanga was listed as last inspected “before Covid”.

Four facilities in Limpopo, one in the Western Cape and one in Mpumalanga had not been inspected.

Inspection dates for five facilities in North West, four in the Western Cape and two in KZN were not provided.

Complaints about these facilities have made headlines