Guest guest Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 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. http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=190107 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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