CD4 machines breakdown, ARV drugs stock-out common across Nagaland, they allege
Kohima, November 25 (MExN): ARK Foundation and NNP+ today rejected the clarification made by Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) regarding CD4 machine breakdown at Dimapur ART Centre.
A press statement from Ketho Angami, president, ARK Foundation and Lanu Aier, president, NNP+ demanded that NSACS provide the “actual picture and not make clarification based on false statements.” The issue was highlighted as resentment towards the CD4 machine being dysfunctional since first week of November, it said.
“During this period, the People Living with HIV (PLHIV) were made to undergo untold hardship which NSACS should own moral responsibility for their treatment’s disruption.”
The issue is not specific to Dimapur ART Centre, it stated, adding similar hiccups have also happened in the past in all the other remaining ART Centres of the State. Questioning NSACS for all the malfunctioning of the machines, the organizations asked, “What has NSACS done to resolve this?”
With regard to ARV drugs stock-out and shortages, it is also not specific to Dimapur ARTC but is general across all the ARTC and Link ART Centers (LAC), the statement alleged. Maintaining that “NSACS should understand that such irregularities in the stock supply mechanism only result in development of drug resistant leading to non treatment response among those who are on ARVs,” it advised NSACS to streamline its supply chain mechanism instead of stating that the ARV drugs have not stocked out.
Contrary to NSACS’ rejoinder which mentioned that Dimapur has 100-200 client load per day, it further stated that Dimapur has the maximum client load in the State and was therefore upgraded to an ART PLUS center. “In this context, overruling the Guidelines and basing on the need of the situation at the ARTC, there is still a need of a nurse, lab technician, and a pharmacist, else it results in day long waits for one to avail the various services.”
Meanwhile, they welcomed the news that a new complete back up set with CD4 machine, cartridges through the Chief Secretary’s welfare fund is expected to be installed by December 2017. They asserted to keep a close watch on its developments. The statement also sought information about status of the fund earlier earmarked by the Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur through the DPDB for procurement of a new CD4 machine.
“With the present system failure of frequent CD4 breakdown, ARV stock-outs, HIV testing kit stock-outs, no quality counselling and treatment preparedness and without an informed consent by attempting to fulfill NACO’s target and treat all, the “Test and Treat” strategy is just a mockery to the lives of the PLHIV,” it reiterated.
Asking what role NSACS has played to make ‘test all, treat all’ feasible, ARK Foundation and NNP+ maintained that people diagnosed just in recent years will still have good immune response for many years and for which unnecessary administration of ART without a CD4 monitoring and other diagnosis is unethical.
“NSACS and NACO have to put their acts right and clear the mess before attempting to put everyone on ART,” the statement added.
