Toxicology is not our department

THE NATIONAL Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) would like to respond to an article titled “Why does justice take so long?” written by Michele Clarke, DA Gauteng spokesperson on Community Safety (The Star, January 27).

In the article, Clarke says: “The ever-increasing backlog on our National Health Laboratory Service to process blood samples taken from drunk drivers is worrying, as it may take a year before drivers are convicted”.

She further says: “What our country needs is stronger enforcement of road traffic rules using techniques such as speed over distance, increased stop-and-search, more focus on moving violations and drunk driving and increased capacitation of the NHLS to ensure toxicology reports are expedited leading to the quick prosecution and conviction of drunk drivers.”

The NHLS would like to correct an error in her article which suggests the organisation is responsible for producing the toxicology reports mentioned in her article.

As an organisation, we would like to inform your readers we do not provide testing of blood samples taken from traffic incidents by law enforcement officials. Our testing facilities mainly provide pathology services to the Department of Health. Blood samples collected for alcohol level testing of drunken drivers are sent to forensic laboratories. These units are not part of our network of laboratories.