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Marvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
THE Government has accredited more than 20 sites at rural clinics in Matabeleland South Province for storing anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs).
The development is set to make it easy for HIV positive people in rural areas to access treatment. Before accreditation of the sites, clinics had no capacity to store ARVs as the drugs were kept at district hospitals only.
In an interview, Matabeleland South provincial medical director Dr William Busumani said some rural clinics in the province have been upgraded to have facilities where ARVs could be stored.
“We have more than 20 sites, which were accredited last week for the storage of ARVs. Some clinics in rural areas have been refurbished to create facilities where ARVs can be stored since in the past these drugs were kept at district hospitals only. This will create easy access of the drugs by patients in rural areas,” he said.
The more than 20 sites accredited last week are in Gwanda, Mangwe, Matobo and Umzingwane districts.
Dr Busumani said more sites have been identified in the province that were refurbished and yet to be assessed and approved to store the drugs in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.
“Our clinics had no standard rooms where ARVs were supposed to be stored. We are therefore trying to upgrade some clinics to bring the drugs closer to the people for easy access. Next week the team that is doing the accreditation of the sites is expected to be in Beitbridge,” he said.
Some HIV positive people in rural areas were forced to travel long distances to get drugs from district hospitals or a few selected clinics in the districts.
About three years ago the Government decentralised follow-up treatment for people on ART to ensure easy access of the drugs.
derick.khumalo