The National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) is grappling with a significant security breach that has impacted public hospitals nationwide, including facilities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The breach has resulted in the shutdown of NHLS's laboratory results system and website, severely affecting operations.
According to Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale, the breach has specifically disabled an automated function used for transmitting laboratory results. As a result, all processes are currently being handled manually.
"Previously, samples could be sent electronically to laboratories. Now, individuals must physically transport samples from facilities to labs, wait for the results on paper, and then interpret and transmit them back," explained Mohale, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The crisis has notably impacted turnaround times for medical diagnoses. Mohale noted, "What used to take ten minutes for a doctor to diagnose a patient now takes up to 20 minutes due to the current system constraints."
He emphasized that efforts to address the issue are underway with utmost urgency. The NHLS and Health Department are working to restore normalcy and mitigate the disruption caused by the security breach. The situation remains fluid as authorities continue to investigate the breach and work towards a resolution to restore electronic functionality and operational efficiency across affected healthcare facilities.
