The Government is facing some challenges in securing enough HIV kits as the tendering process is being restructured to ensure there is no longer a sole provider.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Colin Furlonge spoke to members of the media after delivering the feature remarks at the opening of an HIV/Aids Treatment Symposium at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
Plans are also on-stream to bring on board MP for Diego Martin Central Dr Amery Browne to play a key role in the HIV unit.
On whether there was a shortage of kits, Furlonge said: “Right now we don’t have a shortage. We don’t have enough in the sense of an oversupply but we are making sure enough is purchased to carry us through on a month-to-month basis.
“There may be a shortage in certain areas but what we are trying to do is redistribute what we have so that all of the places will have.”
Furlonge said the kits were critical in the testing and counselling programmes, adding there had been a sole provider for the kits for the last few years.
“When people find themselves in that position they feel it’s their right. However, the new laws have been proclaimed at the beginning of this year and it means you must tender out for all these things.
“So we have had to change that and in the process we have had some shortfalls but we are trying to ensure that we have a continuous supply and that is why we have approached PEPFAR the US (President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief),” Furlonge said.
PEPFAR is the US Government initiative to help save the lives of those suffering from HIV/Aids around the world.
Furlonge said the process to seek PEPFAR’s assistance was initiated in the middle of last year but he was surprised when he found out in September last year that it had gone “awry.”
“But we re-engaged PEPFAR and we had good contact with the people from Virgina and we are finalising the procurement.
“That will save us about a 30 to 40 per cent on the cost...so that will be a big savings to the country. The whole procurement issue is if we buy from a sole provider we are in fact breaking the law but procurement takes time,” Furlonge added.
Resistance detected in new patients
The immune system of those who were newly infected with the virus is resisting the first line of therapy.
“But again we have not been scientific enough in testing and sending abroad for resistance testing. One of the problems that exists in something like HIV is the problem of compliance.
“You have to take medication everyday. Many of the people live a lifestyle that is difficult that allow them to be consistent in this...they have other problems in life so they fall apart and they fall away from treatment. When they come back you find the sensitivity to drugs has been reduced,” Furlonge said.