Times Of Swaziland: PANIC AS ARVS RUN OUT

PANIC AS ARVS RUN OUT
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Phila  Sibiya on 04/03/2015 08:59:00


MBABANE – People living with HIV/AIDS countrywide have been gripped by panic
after reports that health facilities have run out of ARVs.
The situation is said to have been prevailing for the past four days and
patients were turned away at the country’s health facilities, with some even
being told to get the drugs from South African health facilities.
The country has run out of a drug known as Kaletra. Yesterday, patients on ARVs
and taking the Kaletra drug, which they collect at Mkhuzweni Health Centre in
the Hhohho region, were turned away and told that their medication was not
available.
Some of these people had travelled long distances with the hope of returning
home with their medication, however, they were dealt a major blow when health
officers told them that there was no Kaletra.
It is worth noting that it is often said missing a daily dose of the drugs could
have adverse effects on a patient.
It is not the first time that the country has run short of ARVs in some health
facilities.
In most cases, patients who were normally given a consignment for three months
had to settle for one pack which lasts them for only a month and were told to
come back to check if stock was available on a later date.
Those who were interviewed at Mkhuzweni Health Centre, whose identities will,
however, not be revealed as they are HIV survivors, said they were stressed
about the danger that this situation posed to their health now that they would
have to skip taking medication for an indefinite period.
They raised a concern that skipping medication for a single day was dangerous
for their already deteriorating health.
The danger of skipping the medication had also been highlighted many times by
health officials in their health awareness campaigns.