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The strike that starts today by staff of the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) will unfortunately hit patients hard as critical tests will be delayed.

The Gauteng Health Department claims to have contingency plans for the strike but won't disclose which urgent lifesaving tests will be prioritized.

I am concerned that lives could be at risk if there are delays in tests for HIV/Aids, Malaria, Cancer, and Multi-Drug Resistant TB.

Patients will also be inconvenienced by waiting for the results of many other blood tests.

Private laboratories should be used as much as possible but will probably not be able to cope with all the tests for state patients.

The NHLS and unions have now agreed on a 7.3% wage increase, but are still in dispute over benefits such as a housing allowance, medical aid and uniform allowance.

This strike could have been avoided if provincial health departments paid their debts to the NHLS so that it can afford to meet reasonable worker demands.

According to an written reply by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa to my questions earlier this year, her department owes a whopping R696 million to the NHLS. Prompt payment of this money would help enormously in settling this strike.

I will be monitoring the effect of the lab strike on Gauteng hospitals and clinics.

Every effort should be made to ensure that this strike is ended as soon as possible.

Issued by DA