Drug manufacturing companies have come forward to help government fill a shortfall of antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs at various facilities in the Free State. Manufacturing companies have agreed to provide the ARVs and wait to receive their payments once funds are available.
Yogan Pillay, deputy director general for Strategic Health Services in the national health department, said he had been in contact with all drug manufacturer chief executive officers and had secured promises that they would fast track all the Free State drug orders.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) confirmed that it would make a further R11,2-million worth of drugs available to the Free State. The President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) has also offered assistance.
PEPFAR is placing orders with ARV manufacturers, which will be donated to various hospitals and clinics in the northern rural areas of the Free State.
In November last year the Free State department of health announced that its dire financial situation meant that the province would not be able to supply enough ARVs. A moratorium was declared on starting new patients on ARVs. This week patients were relieved to hear that they could now report to their nearest clinics and hospitals to start treatment.
Pillay said a letter had been sent to all facilities in the Free State ordering the lifting of the moratorium and that the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society and Treatment Task Team at the SA National Aids Council would be advising the province on the best methods of triaging people for treatment and cutting the waiting lists. Pillay is overseeing the process.
Ntabiseng Molefe (32) from Mangaung in Bloemfontein said she was relieved to here the news that she can start her treatment soon. ”It took me so long to admit to myself that I was sick and needed to go for an HIV/Aids test. When I finally went and found out that I was indeed positive and needed to start on treatment, I was terrified when the nurse explained that there wasn’t treatment available yet, and that I would have to wait a while before being called to start the treatment. I thought I was going to get sicker and die.”
Molefe said she heard over the radio that ARVs would soon be available and went to her local clinic where they confirmed it was true. ”I was relieved when I heard the news, I thought, ”God has answered my prayers.” I was sitting close to my radio when Trevor Manuel gave his speech. I was praying so hard that he would give a little more money to health so people like myself, who are in desperate need of ARVs, could be saved. I hope something like this does not happen again.”
National health minister Barbara Hogan has appointed a task team to look into what had gone wrong with the supply of ARVs in the province and what other challenges were in many of the provinces.