​Lerato Mailoane
Gauteng residents who are still waiting for answers on what killed their loved ones will soon have answers.
The Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development is making inroads with the construction of the Helen Joseph's Forensic Pathology Laboratory. 
The R500m state-of-the-art facility would replace the current Johannesburg forensic pathology mortuary in Hillbrow which is struggling to cope with the demand for forensic pathology services in Johannesburg.
MEC Tasneem Motara who visited the construction site today said the project was delayed further by the COVID-19 restrictions. 
MEC Motara said there facility would help ease the pressure at Hillbow facility. 
According to Motara, there has been a major increase in caseloads of up to 5000 autopsies per annum.
"The decision was taken to build a new fit-for-purpose facility. The increased size of the new development meant that the existing site was no longer suitable and a new site needed to be selected," she said.
The project site, is situated adjacent to the Helen Joseph Hospital in Rossmore was chosen as it is easily accessible to the community using public transport. 
The MEC said the location is to the benefit of the development as the facility will be used as an educational space with auditoriums, workspace and medical-procedure observation spaces being integrated into the design for the use of medical students. 
The facility also incorporates the new head offices for the Forensic Pathology Services.
Once in operation, the mortuary allow 650 person storage space with 7 post mortem examination rooms.  
The facility will also offer a BSL4 rated post mortem space designed for use in cases where harmful pathogens are present. 
The facility also incorporates basement parking areas that can double up as emergency overflow spaces for disaster relief.
The western end of the site is being developed as a parking structure for the existing Nurses College that is situated adjacent to the site. 
This structure forms part of the contract but will have its own entrance and run completely independently to the facility.
The project has to date employed over 28 people from the local community. 
The original completion was planned for November 2019 but due to the lockdown the project has been delayed by an additional two years and the expected date for completion is the September 2022. END ​