Shortage of First Line Drugs in Bihar

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

This is to bring kind attention of all stakeholders that Stavudine 30/40

combination first line HAART regimen is not available at the only two ART

centers currently providing medicines- Patna Medical College Hospital, Patna and

SKMCH, Muzaffarpur since last week.

Few anaemic patients with CD4 less than 50 had to return back without medicine

due to this. Local newspapers ha also published this report.

Two problem: first the basic and fundamental precondition of uninterrupted

supply of medicine is defaulted - leading to forced nonadherence as well as

those with very weak and anaemic newly diagnosed patients in need of urgent ART

are deviod of medicines.

Indeed they are pushed towards silent death. Also there are 900 registration of

patients at PMCH against only about 200 getting the medicines.

It is imperative for all of us to do best whatever in our capacity so that the

drug supply is resumed as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Dr Diwakar Tejaswi

Medical Director

Regional AIDS Training Center and Network in India (RATNEI)

International Health Organization

Email: diwakartejaswi@...

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Ref: Diwakar Tejaswi's posting on Shortage of First Line Drugs in Bihar

This has been discussed with Dr Geetanjali, APD Bihar SACS and drugs are being

sent there urgently. These two new centres got much more pateints than expected.

The Bihar state is being supplied drygs for 2000 patients in the next years

procurement, the process for which has started.

Dr B.B.Rewari, MD,FICP,FIACM,FIMSA

Sr.Physician, Dr RML Hospital &

National Programme Officer (ART)

National AIDS Control Organistion (NACO)

New Delhi

Tel;23325343,23325335(O)

FAX : 011-23731746

e-mail: <drbbrewari@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Thanks to Dr Tejaswi to take up the matter and also to NACO for prompt action.

This way we can maximum utilise this group to come over the problem.

Regards.

Prakash

People's Action for National Integration- " PANI "

LIG-7,Sector-G,Jankipuram,Lucknow-226021(U.P.)India

Phone No: 0522 4010041.

e-mail:panilucknow@...

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Members,

Dr. Rewari's intervention with an electronic speed is really appreciable.

I am not surprised with the demand for ART in Bihar. Though not much of

surveillance has been done in Bihar, we know that the HIV prevalence in Bihar is

on rise and there are several of the HIV/AIDS patients in advance stages,

needing ART.

Keep the tempo live!

Dr.I.S.Gilada

Mumbai

e-mail: ihoaids@...