AIDS patients face shortage of live-saving drugs

There is a reported shortage of live-saving anti-retroviral drugs used to treat AIDS patients in the country.

Hospital staff at five treatment centres says they are rationing their supplies because they fear they will run out.

Over three thousand Ghanaians rely on anti-retroviral drugs to treat their HIV/AIDS.

The Ghana AIDS Commission confirms the drug shortage, but says there is no cause for alarm.

The Director-General of the Commission, Professor Sakyi Awuku Amoah, says 2.8 million dollars worth of anti-retroviral drugs will arrive in the country next week.

Speaking with JOYNEWS, Professor Sakyi-Amoah said the drug shortage was unexpected.

? The medicine that they give is three in and it is one of the drugs which is running out not that it has run out. Some hospitals too have some of them and others do not and we are making efforts to move some of the drugs from hospital that has more to others experiencing shortage.

There are more and more people getting infected with the disease and there it throws completely out of gear the original plan that has been done for expected number of infections. And this why we want people to appreciate that the HIV/AIDS is still a serious issue because more and more infections are being recorded.

And it appears more and more people had to be on the drug and that is what has slightly affected projection that was made initially, ? he said.