By Oliver Samboko
THE Ministry of Health has remained mute on the reported looming shortage of Anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) despite several queries to state its position on the issue.
According to angry patients, the impending shortage of critical first line anti-retroviral drugs will result in more than 70,000 people living the HIV virus without the lifesaving drugs.
The shortage, in some health Centres, has left patients receiving drugs to last for two weeks instead of three months which will result in some people to running out, long before the normally scheduled visit.
The patients have stated that government needed to take urgent steps to address the shortage of life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs (ART) at all public health institutions to prevent drug resistance and other complications, HIV/AIDS patients have said.
About 70, 000 people who are on TLE – the first line ARV drugs have been left stranded as they have not been receiving their medication for two weeks.
According to patients talked to, the life-prolonging drugs have been out of stock for two weeks now and the situation has now escalated into a crisis.
Efforts to get a comment from the minister of Health by press time proved futile.
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