
Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Stephen Kyeremeh Atuahene, has refuted claims suggesting that a shipment of antiretroviral drugs procured by the Health Ministry cannot be accounted for.
This comes in response to reports indicating that the medications are rapidly depleting and are projected to be completely exhausted by May.
President of the National Association of Persons Living with HIV, Elsie Ayeh, expressed distress as health officials commence rationing antiretroviral drugs essential for their well-being.
However, Dr Atuahene said this information was not entirely true, and the reports were unnecessarily causing fear among these persons.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Midday News on March 18, he said, “We should not create needless anxiety among the persons living with HIV because I know that we have enough drugs at least from now up till May and hopefully, if the ministry’s commodities come in, then there would be no cause for alarm.”
The Director-General clarified that the government had already made arrangements for additional supplies of these drugs to be available before the current stock is depleted.
He further explained that the rationing of drugs by health practitioners does not necessarily indicate a shortage. Dr. Atuahene mentioned that a specific facility might be nearing the end of its allocated supply.
“I am aware that the government procured ARVs to fill the gap at least starting from May and if we do not receive government procured ARVs, that is when we will begin to have shortage but presently, I cannot anticipate any shortage as being alleged and then speak to it specifically.
“Not being able to account for it does not mean it is missing,” he said in response to claims that some $15 million dollars worth of medications had gone missing, explaining that “Government through the Ministry of Health was supposed to procure anti-retroviral medicine. It was an arrangement between Ministry of Health and Global Fund and we are all fully aware that those drugs should be arriving by now,” he said.
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Meanwhile, he assured that the Health Ministry is working tirelessly to ensure an adequate supply of drugs within the system, thereby negating any need for undue panic.
“Presently the issue is one of the top priorities being considered by the new Minister for Health and I know he is an action man and will have it resolved as quickly as possible.
“Just last week, we had a meeting with the ministry together with the Global Fund on this subject matter and the necessary actions are being taken.
“Some should have arrived in December but not all of it. The assurance we have is that ministry has procured and the contractors or the suppliers will deliver,” he added.