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The National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) failed to provide satisfactory answers to critical questions regarding the ongoing anti-venom crisis in a meeting of the Health Portfolio Committee last week.

The DA has already submitted Parliamentary Questions (PQs) to demand the answers the NHLS has failed to give and will be requesting that they return to the committee to provide clarity on the following issues:

Vial production and shortages:
We asked the NHLS how many vials of anti-venom they have produced since 2023, and where shortages are occurring. Despite the life-threatening nature of this crisis, the NHLS failed to provide clear information on these vital statistics.

Renovations at SAVP:
The DA also sought details on the cost and timeline of the renovations at the South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP) facility. The public deserves to know what is being done to resolve this situation and how long these renovations will take. Regrettably, we did not receive sufficient answers.

Lack of procedures during renovations:
In light of the renovations, the DA specifically asked why no procedures were put in place to ensure the continued production of anti-venom. The failure to prepare for this eventuality is a glaring oversight that continues to cost lives, and NHLS has failed to explain why this was allowed to happen.

Given the unsatisfactory responses from the NHLS last week, the DA will now formally request that the NHLS and SAVP appear before the Portfolio Committee on Health as a matter of urgency. The public needs answers, and this crisis, which has allegedly already resulted in unnecessary deaths, must be addressed immediately.

The DA remains committed to ensuring that the NHLS is held accountable for its failures in ensuring the supply of anti-venom. The lives of thousands of South Africans, especially in rural areas, are at stake, and we will not rest until the NHLS provides the full accountability that the situation demands.

Issued by Michele Clarke MP - DA Spokesperson on Health