The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) said on Tuesday it would file court papers against the Department of Health if Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang failed to respond by Wednesday to the TAC’s demands to supply Aids patients with anti-retrovirals.
In a letter of demands sent to Tshabalala-Msimang on March 10, the TAC gave her seven days to authorise the immediate procurement of anti-retroviral drugs.
TAC spokesperson Mark Heywood said: “We will request the court to order the minister to make use of regulations that clearly allow government to purchase an urgent interim supply of anti-retrovirals pending the finalisation of the tender process.”
He said it would take months for the Department of Health to finalise the tendering process. Meanwhile, HIV patients needed medication urgently.
He said initially the TAC gave the minister seven days to respond but she requested an extension, saying she would be out of the country.
“We gave her until Wednesday at 1pm to respond to our demands. If she does not respond by then, we are going to file court papers on Thursday.”
The minister’s spokesperson, Sibani Mngadi, said Tshabalala-Msimang would respond by Wednesday as she had promised.
Heywood said the TAC had had discussions with the African National Congress and senior Department of Health officials over providing medication.
“Following this discussions I hope the matter will not go to court,” he said.
The Cabinet instructed Tshabalala-Msimang in August to formulate a comprehensive HIV/Aids treatment plan, including the provision of anti-retrovirals.
She appointed a task team, headed by Dr Anthony Mbewu of the Medical Research Council, to draw up such a plan. This was done with the help of staff of the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation of the United States. — Sapa
First dispensing licences presented