The state machinery has been singularly focused on the battle with Covid-19 and achieved several landmarks, like administering over two billion doses of vaccines and augmenting infrastructure for any possible new wave of the pandemic.
Covid-19, however, is not the only ailment that requires serious attention. Experts have been repeatedly pointing out that fight against several other diseases have been impacted due to the focus that the pandemic has been getting.
This point is being highlighted again in the national capital where a group of HIV positive patients staged a demonstration outside the National AIDS Control Office against the shortage of antiretroviral treatment (ART) drugs. These medications are necessary for HIV patients to lead a normal life, as they keep the HIV viral load under check. According to patients, the drugs have been unavailable or in short supply for the last few months, both in Delhi and in neighbouring states.
According to health ministry sources, four representatives of the group, Persons Living with HIV (PLHIV), had discussions with National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) on Monday. They were told that they should work with state AIDS control societies to source medicines in the few ART centres where there is a shortage. This is part of standard NACO practice.
India is one of the few countries which provides free ART medicines for lifelong treatment to 14.5 lakh PLHIVs through 680 ART centres across the country. “There is adequate stock nationally for around 95 per cent of the patients, who are on first and second line ARV regimens. The most common treatment, for 85 per cent cases, is a three drug combination dose commonly known as TLD.
The officials say there is no shortage of ARV drugs at the state level and fresh supply orders for procurement of the next lot of several drugs are already in place. They said individual centres may have shortages at times, which can be addressed in coordination with other centres.
