NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 830
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 23 MARCH 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 8)
Mrs H Lamoela (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) in Port
Elizabeth (PE) is to be closed down; if so, (a) what are the reasons,
(b) who took the decision to close it down, (c) on what date was the
decision taken to close the NHLS in PE, (d) when will it be closed,
(e) where will the samples be sent, (f) what is the additional cost to
transport samples to another NHLS and (g) how much longer will it take
to get results;
(2) whether all the staff members were informed in writing about the
closure; if not, why not; if so, on what date were they informed;
(3) what was the (a) income and (b) expenditure of the PE NHLS for the
past three financial years;
(4) whether the training of technicians and technologists will be
affected by the closure; if so, (a) in what way and (b) what
alternative training arrangements have been made?
NW965E
REPLY:
(1) We do not have National Health Laboratory Services in Port Elizabeth.
What we have are laboratories falling under the National Health
Laboratory Service (NHLS), and there is no intention to close down any
of those laboratories.
2) Not applicable.
3) Not applicable.
4) Not applicable.
END.