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Midlands Correspondent
District hospitals in the Midlands are facing an acute shortage of anti-retroviral drugs, a development that is threatening the health delivery system.Most patients are now travelling long distances to Gweru Provincial Hospital for ARVs.
The drug which is said to be in short supply is the Abacavir which is taken by patients on second line treatment. Some patients on ARV treatment who visited Chronicle offices in Gweru last week said they had started defaulting after they failed to secure the Abacavir drug.
“We are on ARVs and get our monthly drug allocation at Mvuma District Hospital. The hospital, however, referred us to Gweru Provincial Hospital for the Abacavir drug which is not in stock. Authorities at Gweru Provincial Hospital said the drug is also out of stock and we are now stranded,” said one of the affected patients.
The patients said they could not afford the drug which they said was selling for $90 for a one month course at a Gweru pharmacy.
“We are now defaulting treatment because we cannot afford buying from pharmacies.
“We tried to negotiate with management at the only pharmacy which had the drug to give us half month course but they said they only sell one month course for $90,” said another patient.
Provincial Medical Director for Midlands, Dr Milton Chemhuru, confirmed the shortage of the Abacavir. He said his office had since placed an emergency order with Natpharm Harare after their traditional suppliers, Natpharm Bulawayo also indicated that the drug was out of stock.
“The drug has been in short supply for our patients in the Midlands and we have been rationing the drug.
“We have since been advised by our traditional suppliers that they do not have the drug in stock and we have made an emergency order with Natpharm Harare.
The short supply of the drug is temporary and we are expecting deliveries of the drugs any time soon,” said Dr Chemhuru.
He however said the province had alternative drugs for Abacavir but could not abruptly change the patients’ treatment course since the shortage was not permanent.
“We could have given our patients alternative drugs which are in stock but the shortage is just temporary. Patients will be getting the drugs soon,” he said.
Dr Chemhuru said the Midlands province has 129 patients on the Abacavir drug.
Online Reporter