Dimapur: The Dimapur Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centre is reportedly suffering from a severe of shortage of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs yet again. The lives of thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS are dependent on the ARV drugs routed through this centre at present.
ARV medicines are a combination of critical drugs used to treat HIV, AIDS in people who are using the ‘second line’ of ART, a treatment regimen used in a sequence immediately after the ‘first line’ therapy fails, say reports.
As per reports, the ARV drugs are completely out of stock at the Dimapur centre since October 1 and people with HIV are being told to buy medicines from outside. The cost of medication is around Rs 2,500 a month, which is a costly affair for many.
After several NGOs informed the Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS), a temporary solution was provided with an allocation of 30 boxes of the drug that arrived at the centre on October 12.
However, as per reports, only ten days of supply could be arranged for around 300 people before the drugs ran out of stock on Tuesday putting the HIV patients again at risk.
The unavailability of drugs might lead to a greater health risk for the patients under medication of the said ARV medicines leading to drug resistance and eventually dependence on ‘third-line’ ART. To avail of this therapy again, patients will have to travel to Imphal in Manipur, as there are no facilities to provide the said treatment in Nagaland.
