The chaos caused by last month’s cyber attack has led to the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) having to rely on the private sector for help with emergency lab tests while its IT systems are still being restored.
The intrusion has been blamed on the BlackSuit hacking group, a private ransomware gang known for attacking healthcare and education entities, according to cybersecurity firm SentinelOne.
Immediately after the attack, the NHLS was having to report crucial test results telephonically to clinicians, causing massive delays countrywide, often in life or death situations.
Initially, the systems were expected to be back online by 15 July, but last week, although some had been restored, and interim steps taken to mitigate the impact of the disruption, the website remained offline.
Progress had been made in reducing testing delays, the NHLS told News24, but facilities are still hobbled by delays beyond normal turnaround times.
For critical tests, the department was using private laboratories, focusing on emergency cases, particularly at high volume facilities. In a statement, Gauteng Health said “the broadening of access to the eLab system for clinicians to register and retrieve critical results has contributed to improving the situation”.
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