Government Health centers in Kabale district have run out the life prolonging ARVs putting the lives of hundreds of people living with HIV/Aids at risk. The affected health centers include Kamwezi, Hamurwa and Bukinda. Patience Muhereza, one of the people living with HIV/Aids says that her health has deteriorated because she has gone without ARVs for the last two weeks.
Muhereza says that there are no ARVs at Hamurwa health center, where she has been receiving her supplies. She explains that she cannot continue with her business to vend potatoes because she feels so weak. Fedelis Mugisha, another person living with HIV/Aids blames the authorities for failing to ensure that the health centers are adequately stocked. He says that as a result he has gone for several days without taking ARVs.
Geoffrey Byamugisha, chairperson Kabale persons living with HIV says that many patients are finding it hard to take the full combinations of the drugs that they are supposed to take daily. He says that most of the People Living with HIV/Aids have spent two weeks without taking their drug combination. Byamugisha says that matters have been worsened by the absence of spetrine for those people whose CD4 count is still strong.
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He says there is need for district authorities to ensure that the requisitions are submitted to the National Medical stores in time to avoid shortages.
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Dr Patrick Tusiime, Kabale District Medical officer says that he was only aware of the stock out at Hamurwa health center that had missed on the last supplies. He says that the drug stock out in other health centers has not been brought to his attention. Tusiime has however promised to distribute drugs to health center that have been hit by the stock out.
