Private sector to lend support to procurement of ARVs

Sep 01, 2010 News

Efforts by the Ministry of Health to procure the much needed antiretroviral drugs, to treat persons infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), is being bolstered by support from the private sector.
According to reports reaching this newspaper, the support is likely to ensure the arrival of the much needed Efavirenz drugs before the end of the week. Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy had confirmed that the local health sector’s stock had become depleted due to an error during shipment and was no fault of officials within his Ministry.
The Ministry usually receives its supply of antiretroviral drugs from Europe. However, as at its last shipment about two weeks ago, it was only the Truvada trademark antiretroviral drug that arrived, thereby posing a crucial problem, as some infected patients are required to take a treatment regiment including both Efavirenz and Truvada.
It was in recognition of this development, Kaieteur News understands, that at least one private importer of pharmaceuticals has decided to render assistance.
“We recognised the situation and we know that it is a serious one and we will help out as best as we can…The Ministry of Health needs the assistance and if we can help we will do so…” a source close to a private entity related to this newspaper yesterday.
Reports are that there is a local importer that had offered a bid to procure the antiretroviral drugs for the Ministry, but for some reason the contract to commence the process was not signed. The procurement of the drugs is usually tendered through the Health Sector Development Unit of the Ministry of Health.
It is believed that had the private entity in question been able to procure the drugs the shipment problem may not have occurred. Efforts to garner a comment from the entity in question were met with an assertion from an official that “we are prepared to help the Ministry of Health in any way that we can…This has nothing to do with us making a profit once we can help we will help. This is a life-threatening situation so we will try our best.” According to the official it is expected that an ample supply of Efavirenz will arrive in Guyana within the next two days.
Minister Ramsammy in confirming the shortage of the drugs had noted that everything is being done to address the potentially catastrophic situation and had expressed optimism that the Ministry will be able to receive a supply by tomorrow.
According to the Minister, the shortage problem extends countrywide and is a development that Guyana has never faced before as supplies are usually on time and as per request.
In recognition of the problem the Ministry had sought assistance from Suriname and was able to borrow a quantity of the much needed Efavirenz to alleviate the situation. That stock is however currently close to being depleted, according to the Minister. As a result, some patients are only being offered part of the recommended treatment.
“This means that if we don’t have both within a few days we could have a bit of a problem because it is never good to have an interruption. We are hoping that in the next day or two that we can get some more drugs,” Minister Ramsammy asserted.
According to him, the Ministry is expected to also receive assistance shortly from Jamaica or Haiti in a matter of days to help address the situation. The Minister revealed that although Guyana is expecting its own stock in a few days’ time, he does not intend to take the chance of waiting on that shipment given the possibility of further prevailing problems.
“Persons have asked why borrow more drugs but I don’t want to wait, people’s lives are involved here and I don’t want to take that chance of waiting…Two weeks ago our shipment was supposed to be here so we really can’t take chances. In addition, we are borrowing, and so we will have to send back when we do get our own supply.”
Guyana has never experienced a problem with its antiretroviral supply before, a development the Minister attributed to the fact that more people are being placed on medication.
And in order to prevent another such occurrence, the Minister said that the Ministry will seek to shorten its reorder level time as shipment issues are always possible.
The National AIDS Committee had also amplified its concern over the development by issuing a statement which among other things revealed that the committee had plans to seek audience with Head of the National AIDS Programme Secretariat on the matter.

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