Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, February 09 2009:
In an inspection campaign conducted by the USER Manipur, the Nodal Officer of Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre, JN Hospital Dr Priyokumar said that the ART centre set up at JN Hospital for treatment and facilitate medication for people living with HIV/AIDS is running short of medicines apart from shortages of staff.
The count of four CD will also be halted from tomorrow due to non availability of FACS reagent and Vacutainers.
He also said that the supply of FACS reagent and Vacutainers at the ART centre by MACS was stopped since September 8 last year and as a result conduction of CD four counts will be stopped from February 10 even though around 80 persons are waiting to test their CD four counts.
He further said the only two counselors are carrying the charges of the centre while four counselors are entitled to manage the centre.
The Centre is facing a great problem in counseling the patients as MACS failed to respond despite acknowledgement from the ART centre to appoint the remaining counselors.
The centre is facing various hardships as a result of scarcity in supplies from MACS, he said.
He further stated that till the end of January 2009, 4894 HIV/AIDS infected persons were registered to provide ART out of which 2688 persons were availed with the ART and the remaining were below the criteria of using ART while 320 ART using persons had been expired and 67 of them didn't turned up for the therapy.