Shortage of Anti-Retroviral Meds Reported
While there are reports that only generic meds are being imported, there are also concerns growing among persons living with HIV/AIDS as reports suggest that the anti-retroviral medication have depleted across the country. In effect, there is a shortage of the much needed medication. The Collaborative Network for Persons Living with HIV, also known as CNET+, has been following up the report and has written to the Ministry of Health as well as the National Aids Commission. Reasons for the stock-out have not been confirmed, but there are reports that the ministry is experiencing issues with procurement. The stock ran out three weeks ago and the amount of pills available for persons living with HIV keeps depleting. Javier Paz says he found out the grim news today and only eleven pills remain in his bottle. When he runs out, there is the possibility that his body will form some sort of resistance to the medication.
Javier Paz
Javier Paz, Person Living with HIV
“The issues that I am having is that I cannot restock on it right now. Apparently there is none in any of the free facilities within the country. What I have left is only eleven of them excluding the one that I will take tonight. So I think that is a major problem and I’ve heard that it’s been like that for about two weeks already.”
Hipolito Novelo
“So eleven pill, eleven days; what happens after the eleventh day?”
Javier Paz
“Well, I’ve been trying to reach out to organizations that I heard off to see if they can help me in getting access to medication but I mean, it was just today that I found out that. So I haven’t heard back from them. I tried reaching out to friends in the states who work in pharmaceutical companies that deal with these types of diseases that bring down your immune system but they don’t carry this specific type of medication either. At this point I cannot say what will happen.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Are you worried or scared?”
Javier Paz
“I’m not much of a person that reacts fearfully but at the same time I just feel this is something that needs to be fixed. Why is it happening? Why hasn’t the government learned properly to re-stock this or is there like a flaw in their procedure? What’s going on?”
