News / Health
Government to probe ARV distribution
29 Aug 2011 at 15:20hrs | Views
Government says it will institute investigations into allegations that some people on Anti-Retroviral Therapy are getting a raw deal at state run institutions when they go to collect the life prolonging medication.
Being HIV positive is one thing but being positive and poor is now a double tragedy for many people who are relying on the government anti retroviral program.
For the well to do who can afford private care the situation is different.
While state run institutions have adequate ARV's to cater for the people on the government program, accessing the medication is no stroll in the park.
Executive Director of "The Centre", an organisation which assists people who are living positively Mr. Freddie Kachote, said his organisation has been inundated with numerous complaints from HIV positive people who are frustrated by shoddy service delivery at government hospitals.
Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the ministry was not aware of the alleged challenges but assured the affected people that investigations will be carried out soon to establish what could be causing the delays in dispensing the life prolonging medication.
More than 680 000 across the country are on the government Anti-Retroviral program.
In the capital, more than 19 centres are dispensing ARV's under the government program which means the state run institutions are left to cater for less than 200 000 HIV positive people.
Such figures leave more questions as to why government institutions are failing to cope with such a small figure despite the hospitals have opportunistic infections (OI) clinics that were specifically opened to cater for HIV people.
Being HIV positive is one thing but being positive and poor is now a double tragedy for many people who are relying on the government anti retroviral program.
For the well to do who can afford private care the situation is different.
While state run institutions have adequate ARV's to cater for the people on the government program, accessing the medication is no stroll in the park.
Executive Director of "The Centre", an organisation which assists people who are living positively Mr. Freddie Kachote, said his organisation has been inundated with numerous complaints from HIV positive people who are frustrated by shoddy service delivery at government hospitals.
Health and Child Welfare Deputy Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the ministry was not aware of the alleged challenges but assured the affected people that investigations will be carried out soon to establish what could be causing the delays in dispensing the life prolonging medication.
More than 680 000 across the country are on the government Anti-Retroviral program.
In the capital, more than 19 centres are dispensing ARV's under the government program which means the state run institutions are left to cater for less than 200 000 HIV positive people.
Such figures leave more questions as to why government institutions are failing to cope with such a small figure despite the hospitals have opportunistic infections (OI) clinics that were specifically opened to cater for HIV people.
Source - .
