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treatment at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital in recent months in what sources attributed to failure by major hospitals to initiate people on ART.
A pharmacist at the hospital, who preferred anonymity, said they were burdened by the influx of people from outside the province and sometimes from other districts needing to be put on ARV treatment.
“There is an influx of people from as far as Harare who need to be put on ART because I understand hospitals such as Harare and Parirenyatwa are not initiating new people on ART which has forced people to search far and wide to get the drugs,” said the source.
The hospital now has about 5 000 people on first line ARV drugs – Stalanev while another 100 people have been initiated on the second line – Tenolam – owing to various reasons including resistance and failure to respond to the drugs.
This is also in line with Government’s decision to move from Stalanev owing to the attendant side-effects including peripheral neuropathy which affects the legs and the discolouration of teeth among others.
She said that demand had also increased because of the requirement that pregnant mothers be tested together with their spouses.
“It has previously been a mammoth task to get the couples to come for testing when one is pregnant but we are beginning to see the softening of stance. More and more men are coming with their wives,” she said.
The ratio of men and women was almost at the same level, she said.
The source said the increase in demand was sometimes affecting their stocking as the report compiled in one month is different from the one recorded the following month.
Others are from Makonde District and demand has also been attributed to increased awareness of the availability of treatment.
Online Reporter