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people are in need of life-prolonging drugs.
Only 20 percent of the patients have been placed on ART due to limited resources.
Since the hospital started offering ART in 2006, 9 584 patients have been placed on treatment.
This was revealed by the District Medical Officer for Beitbridge, Dr Takaitei Kanongara, when he was giving oral evidence to the Senatorial Thematic Committee on HIV and Aids.
The committee sought to check the status on the implementation of the Government anti-retroviral therapy roll out programme last week.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chaired by Lupane Senator Dalumuzi Khumalo is on a tour of the country’s provinces to ascertain the state of affairs with regards to the government’s programme to fight HIV and Aids. Dr Kanongara said they were working out to clear the backlog and the Doctors Without Boundaries/Medicens San Frontiers (MSF) had offered assistance.
He said they had stocks of ARVs which would last for four months.
Dr Kanongara said that they had a shortage of CD4 count machines and processed only 30 samples per day when they needed to carryout examinations on an average of 70 specimens.
He said the hospital needed two more CD4 count machines to improve on service delivery.
“To add to our problems, all these people rely on one referral hospital where we also cater for the transit population,” said Dr Kanongara. “Our facilities are strained and we are appealing for urgent attention.
“Furthermore, we have high staff turnover and at the moment we are relying on two medical doctors when we need four to operate at full strength.”
Online Reporter