WESTERN CAPE NEWS - A shortage of reagents and test kits which need to be imported from overseas, as well as policy decisions, are the current concerns of Western Cape Premier Alan Winde.
In a statement earlier today he said certain policy decisions place additional strain on the current system.
These include the decision by the Department of Labour that a person must test negative before being allowed to return to work, as well as other government departments’ request to have their staff tested.
Winde has written to president Cyril Ramaphosa requesting his urgent intervention to support the National Health Laboratory Services, where all government testing is being done. Western Cape Minister of Health Nomafrench Mbombo addressed these matters in a letter to National Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize.
Meanwhile, Winde said, the Western Cape Government has approached the private sector to access any additional available capacity as a short-term solution. “These labs are however also under severe pressure and do not offer any realistic short-term relief,” he said.
“Over the past two weeks, the Western Cape has more than doubled the total number of tests conducted as part of a targeted testing strategy aimed at identifying pockets of infection. We understand that as the Western Cape and other provinces have increased their focus on testing, this has placed strain on the NHLS and their resources.”
Winde said this results in waits of up to seven days for test results - putting extreme stress and pressure on those awaiting their results. “In the acute hospital setting and for health care workers, we cannot afford to wait that long for test results. The delays in test results also have a knock-on effect, delaying the contact tracing process and increasing the risk of further spread of the virus.”
President Ramaphosa and Minister Mkhize are expected to pay a visit to the Western Cape next week.
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