Funding squeeze hits AIDS, TB treatment

Government-funded medical institutions have not yet received funds from the Centre

ISLAMABAD: The government-funded medical centres in the country are not able to monitor and treat HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) patients properly as the federal government has not released funds under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) since the last 10 months.

The government-funded centres use two types of drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and TB. One is provided through global funding for direct treatment, which the patients are receiving. The other given by the federal government is called opportunistic drugs, which are used to treat HIV/AIDS-infected patients for other ailments like fever, malaria, etc.

Around 25 employees of the federal health ministry working under the national HIV/AIDs and TB control programme have also not received their salaries for the last 10 months.

While talking to The Express Tribune on Friday, an official working closely with these programmes requesting anonymity, said, the performance of both the programmes is suffering due to the delay in release of funds.



HIV is an increasing health concern in Pakistan and despite knowing this, the government seems least bothered about it, said the official.

The employees are highly demotivated as they are facing huge financial crisis, he said and added that they are unable to pay their children’s school fees, house rents and utility bills among others.

“There are several employees who are forced to borrow money from their relatives or friends to run their day to day affairs,” he said.

Moreover, top level officials of national HIV/AIDs programme at federal level are facing difficulties in providing medicines for the opportunistic infections in HIV infected patients to the provinces, he said.

“It is very important to maintain and sustain the supply of drugs for the opportunistic infections in HIV-infected patients countrywide,” he said.

After every three months, it is must for the national progrmame managers to pay a visit to all the provinces to monitor their progress, but unfortunately due to financial issues they have been unable to do so regularly, said the official.

While sharing details, the official said last year in August the federal health ministry sent a PC-1 of coordination unit for/to manage global fund to ensure uninterrupted flow of foreign grants for TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria control activities worth Rs167 million to the Ministry of Planning Commission of Pakistan for an approval.



The PC-1 of the said coordinated unit was however approved this year on March 9, he said.

“But so far not a single penny has been released in this regard despite knowing the current conditions of the employees and performance of the programmes,” he said.

The official further said that moreover last year around Rs50 million was allocated under PSDP for the year 2016-17 for these programmes, but not even a single penny has been released so far, said the official.

When contacted HIV/AID Control Programe National Manager Dr Baseer Achakzai, he said, “The release of the amount under the PC-1 is under process and will take three to four weeks.”



He said that it is a fact that without funds it has become difficult to run the programme effectively.

Meanwhile the 10-month delay in the payment of salaries is also preventing employees from performing well, he said.

When contacted an official in the Planning Commission who wished not to be named, said, “Hopefully the amount will be released soon as it is under process.”