Kolkata: Dearth of AIDS drugs cripples patients in state

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Dearth of AIDS drugs cripples patients in state

Express News Service

Kolkata, June 26: Crisis looms large over thousands of AIDS patients

in the state who are under anti-retro viral drugs, courtesy

disruptions in supply by the National Aids Control Organisation. The

shortage has been plaguing hospitals since February this year when

around 100 patients were asked to purchase medicines on their own.

The free ART programme was initiated in the state a year ago and

presently covers over 1000 patients at the School of Topical

Medicines.

" The ART drugs are procured and supplied by NACO and there has been

frequent disruptions in their services. We are trying our best to

compensate for the inconvenience and presently none of the patients

suffer. We are trying to make temporary arrangements. Ideally we

should have three to six months' supply in reserve, " said R S

Shukla, director of West Bengal State HIV AIDS Society and special

secretary, health department.

According to the health department, medicines like Efivarenz,

Stavudin and Lamuvudin - combinations of which are used to treat

AIDS patients - are not available.

" Efivarenz stocks have recently been exhausted and stocks of

Stavudin and Lamivudin, a combination of which is used for the

therapy, will last for another week or so. This estimation takes

into consideration our supplies from districts. The situation is

grave, " said a health department official.

The problem started in February when 100 patients were asked to buy

drugs from private sector companies and stocks were finished. The

ART, however, cannot be discontinued even for a single day since

that would foster the growth of mutant viral forms of the disease

apart from rendering the patient critical.

The crisis was managed after the WBSAPCS borrowed drugs from

Lucknow, Nagaland, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, following talks with

NACO.

" We told NACO about the crisis in February but supplies continued to

be disrupted. We were given dates but the medicines did not reach us

on time. We then took loans from different states as much as 10,000

tablets in a single consignment to tide over the crisis. Now even

those stocks are exhausted, " the official added.

Presently at the School of Tropical Medicines no new patients are

enrolled for the free ART programme and those already undergoing the

treatment have been provided with only two weeks' medicines. Usually

an AIDS patient is furnished with a month's stock in advance as they

are prescribed with an intake of two tablets daily.

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