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TrakCare outage exposes backup power gaps at NHLS

19 Mar 2026

SA’s National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) reported a major disruption to TrakCare, its information system, leaving clinicians unable to access patient results and affecting care nationwide. – Daily Maverick (18 March 2026)
The disruption also caused delays in specimen registration and testing disrupted clinical decisions, especially in emergencies. The incident revived concerns about system resilience following a 2024 cyberattack.
The outage, linked to power failures at its Johannesburg headquarters, highlighted the absence of adequate backup systems.

Authorities confirmed it was not a cybersecurity breach, and data integrity remains intact.

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