A strike by the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) is expected to stretch into its second week as the service pleads poverty. The NHLS operates about 300 laboratories nationwide that conduct tests — from cervical screenings to testing babies for HIV — for the public health sector.
How far the strike has affected these essential services remained unclear on Thursday, but Democratic Alliance Gauteng MEC and health spokesperson Jack Bloom said the majority of NHLS labs in Gauteng have been crippled or shuttered by the strike. ….more