‘1,100 children without HIV medicines in Ratodero’
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Over 1,100 children suffering from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have been left without medications for over a week due a shortage at the Ratodero HIV Treatment Centre, claimed a doctor treating HIV patients in the area - the epicentre of an HIV outbreak in 2019 - on Monday.
According to Dr Imran Arbani, the centre has not received HIV medications for over a week due to the suspension of flights amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “This has led to an acute shortage, exposing these poverty-stricken immunodeficient children to other diseases,” he added.
To make matters worse, there was only one doctor stationed at the centre despite the widespread need, he claimed.
When contacted, Sindh AIDS Control Programme provincial manager Dr Saqib Ali Shaikh stated that the structures of eight programmes have been changed - including the HIV and AIDS programme.
Shaikh further revealed that, after a brief pause due to the lack of supplies received from Islamabad, the medicine supply has been restored and the Ratodero Treatment Centre would receive them within a day or two.
Meanwhile, when Larkana Anti-Retroviral Therapy Centre incharge Dr Hola Ram was contacted, he revealed that approximately 3,000 HIV-positive adults were registered at the centre. He added that all necessary medication was available to these patients for free.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2020.