MBABANE: Senator Lizzie Nkosi,the Minister of Health has denied allegations suggesting that the country is facing shortage of antiretroviral(ARVs)drugs shortage in the various hospitals.
In a statement released on Friday afternoon, the Minister said the country was transitioning into a new antiretroviral therapy(ART)which made some patients uncomfortable with it.
“The change to the new ARV regime has resulted in some not being comfortable and thus requesting a shift back to the older regimen.This has de-stabilised stock levels as procurement of medicine was done based on the higher number of patients being on the new dose of ARV regimen”,reads the statement in part.
But Mayibongwe Masangane, the Secretary General of the Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union(SWADNU) in an earlier interview with this Swaziland News acknowledged the shortage of ARVs and warned that there would be more deaths looming as the patients were likely to abandon the alternative medication.
“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.

Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi.