Eastern Cape Health investigates ‘dumped’ Covid-19 test kits
The Eastern Cape Health Department says an investigation is underway into the discovery of coronavirus test kits allegedly dumped on the N2 between East London and King Williams Town.
It’s understood that the test kits were in transit at the time of their disposal.
Health Department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo says the matter is not a departmental issue.
“It’s a matter between a courier company and National Health Laboratory Services because these were in transit between hospitals.
“We need them to tell us as to what happened.”
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He was speaking in Midrand on Monday. Makhura said warnings around the situation in Gauteng, and the fact that it will soon overtake the Western Cape as the epicentre of the outbreak, have been sounded for quite some time. Now the time has come for residents to brace themselves for the Covid-19 peak.
Kupelo vowed the department would get to the bottom of the matter.
“The process of establishing facts between the two institutions is underway.”
The exact number of test kits which were dumped is not known at this stage.
South Africa is facing a shortage of Covid-19 test kits, with the Department of Health admitting that it is something that has undermined South Africa’s response to the coronavirus crisis.