The cries of HIV positive patients without the lifesaving ART drugs are increasing every day. Kyegegwa Health Center IV in Tegego DSPR clinic was crowded every day as patients struggled to get access to the available drugs. Many had missed on their prescription due to the unavailability of drugs. Akello Tebitha, Kyegegwe Health Center IV told NBS that most patients went home without drugs despite traveling long distances. “We are also getting concern now on the elimination of the Mother to Child because if the Mother comes and is on treatment, the baby is supposed to get the therapy and it’s not there. Imagine such a situation, so a child goes like for one month without the drug.” Said, Akello Tebitha – Nursing Officer, Kyegegwe HC IV.

Maria Asiimwe a Nursing Officer at Kakabara Health Center III in Tegego said the increased number of patients forced the medical personnel to resort to evening testing. Targeting the youth and men as well index testing to create the awareness of the dangers of HIV. “We started a programme of evening testing that is being conducted on Sunday evening at around 5 pm and above. And this is the time when we target the youth to come and do the testing.” Said, Maria Asiimwe – Nursing Officer, Kakabara HC III. Hadad Mukulu a resident of Mpigi living with HIV told NBS that some patients were pondering demonstrating after failure to get a quick response from the government. “When a patient comes to the Health Center and has a balance of drugs for two weeks is told to go back and use that balance until it’s finished. Patients have now have started thinking of ways to demonstrate against such act and maybe they might borrow a leaf from the recent saga in the Parliament.” Said, Hadad Mukulu – HIV Patient, Mpigi.

Ntwetwe County MP Ssebikali Joel a member on the Parliament’s Health and HIV Committee holds the Ministry of Health and the National Medical Stores over the failure to plan for the increase drug uptake. “Because whenever you complain on the NMS, whenever people complain about NMS, the Ministry of Health does not come out and say Mr. Kamabale you have done us wrong. Sow we are saying as Members of Parliament we have to wake-up.” Said, Ssebikali Joel, MP Ntwetwe County. The Executive Director National Forum of People Living with HIV AIDS in Uganda, Stella Kentusi warned that the country was headed for a crisis. “It’s been a thing of the past and it is something that we can mitigate as a country as we move into the first tracking of the ending of AIDS by 2030.” The government introduced the test and treat policy which meant anyone with the virus would be enrolled on drugs. Medical officers said the government had failed to increase the supply of drugs despite the rising number of patients.