Hiring drive, private lab help to reduce toxicology backlog in Gauteng

With the oldest outstanding toxicology tests stretching back 17 years, the Gauteng health department is ramping up its plan to resolve “cold cases”.

The province has more than 17,000 toxicology cases and more than 7,000 histology cases, with some dating to 2007.

“We are aware of the impact the backlogs have on the families of the deceased who are seeking closure and facing material trauma due to long delays in finalising estates. We also understand insurance claims are being affected. We are fast-tracking interventions to resolve this issue,” acting CEO of the Gauteng forensic pathology service Thembalethu Mpahlaza said.

Toxicology reports give an indication of the type and approximate amount of legal and illegal drugs in the deceased’s body by measuring how much of the substances is in their blood, urine or other bodily fluids. Histopathology focuses on the diagnosis and study of diseases of tissues and involves examining tissues and/or cells under a microscope.

The health department, within which the pathology service operates, said the backlogs can be attributed to a combination of factors, including:

• the emergence of foreign drugs that are difficult to trace and an increase in cases involving sudden deaths;
• suspicion of poisoning among family members in cases of unexpected death;
• the absence of medical histories for certain deceased individuals (this leads to prolonged multiple tests on the body); and
• limited availability of private laboratories willing to conduct state toxicology tests and appear as expert witnesses in court.

A recruitment drive has been launched to hire specialist toxicologists to boost capacity of the team and enhance the ability to process cases more expeditiously. The department is also seeking external private partners to augment capacity to process cases.

A specialist skills training facility has opened in Ga-Rankuwa and in the first quarter of the new financial year the long-awaited in-house toxicology laboratory at Helen Joseph Hospital will open its doors.

“This state-of-the art facility will be a major game changer in dealing with the historic backlogs,” the department said.

TimesLIVE