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Minister appoints three senior figures to address NHLS crisis

13 Oct 2026

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi appointed former National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS).Board Chair, Eric Buch, Compensation Commissioner, Barry Kistnasamy, and Anban Pillay, a Health Department’s Deputy Director-General, to address “deteriorating oversight and financial management” at the Business Day (13 October 2026)
The NHLS, who provides almost all diagnostic testing for patients attending public hospitals and clinics, owes Provincial Health Departments R10.6bn and faces criticism over outsourcing tests to private laboratories.
In 2022/23 it received an unqualified audit, followed by a qualified opinion in 2023/24 and a disclaimer in 2024/25
The NHLS also missed the statutory deadline for submitting its 2025/26 financial statements to the Auditor-General.

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