MBABANE: Mayibongwe Masangane, the Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union(SWADNU) has warned that more emaSwati will die due to the shortage of Antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs in hospitals.
Speaking to this Swaziland News on Thursday,the SWADNU Secretary General blamed Government for focusing too much on the Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreEP) programme while neglecting those who were already infected with HIV.
”Already patients are given alternatives which are closely related to their regimen and the stock is getting depleted at a high rate. Some people might stop taking these alternatives as their bodies react to them thus increasing the death rate of HIV patients,”he said
Reached for comments, Dr Simon Zwane, the Principal Secretary(PS) in the Ministry of Health said the allegations of ARVs shortage were not true.
“It is different preparation and packaging, doctors then rearrange accordingly,”said the Health PS.
Mbabane Government hospital.