Speaking at the official opening of the Programme in Forensic Toxicology on Tuesday, 3 April 2012, Motsoaledi said it would go a long way in reversing the department's poor record when coming to releasing toxicology results.
The programme is a joint initiative between the department and the University of Pretoria.
Seventy graduates have been accepted into the programme, whereas initially 184 applications were received following advertisements of the programme last year.
"Our plan is to develop and skill the graduates through the programme and later expose them to our labs," explained the minister.
South Africa has a total of three chemistry labs - in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town respectively. Motsoaledi said the department was currently looking into building a lab in KwaZulu-Natal.
"Forensic chemistry labs are important, not only in the Department of Health but in the life of the whole country," said Motsoaledi, adding that results from these labs affected crime cases when coming to the testing of blood alcohol levels.
Toxicology and food analysis also form part of the work done by the three labs.
While also improving on human capital, the department was looking at ways of enhancing its technological abilities and looking for students in the ICT sector, among others.
Motsoaledi explained that in other countries, toxicology results in cases were available in six weeks -- a feat that did not happen in South Africa.
He recalled a case whereby he received a phone call from a distressed Limpopo man who was still waiting for lab results into the unnatural cause of death of his wife in 2008.
"These matters affect families hard. I want to significantly improve our turnaround time," he said.
He also acknowledged the country's high rate of vehicle accidents that were mainly caused by drunken driving.
"We see an opportunity to reduce the carnage by providing results on time," he said, adding that the department plans to take to Parliament a bill banning the marketing of liquor products.
Health Director General Precious Matsoso said the total cost of the programme, including accommodation and tuition fees, was R12 million.
The start of the programme will go a long way in addressing skills shortage and unemployment in the country. It will involve graduates undergoing seven months of training followed by five months in labs.
To date, 55 people were employed, with the department recently employing 29 other forensic toxicologists for the labs.
The minister urged the graduates to work hard and display honour and high integrity due to the nature of their work.
One of the graduates who made it into the programme, Thinamaano Kwinda from Limpopo, told BuaNews that the programme was a great opportunity for him.
"I was told in March this year that I had been picked," said the BSc student who majored in micro-biology and bio-chemistry.
The Head of Department of Chemistry, Prof Egmont Rohwer, said chemistry was one of the most neglected subjects at school, while also cautioning that it had an important contribution to make to society.
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
