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Statement by Minister of Health Barbara Hogan on sustaining and initiating patients on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in provinces
9 February 2009
Health Minister Barbara Hogan says she will do whatever she can to ensure that all patients in the country have reasonable access to healthcare services including life saving medicines.
Minister Hogan said: "Regarding the initiation of patients living with HIV on treatment in the Free State, I have already taken, and will continue to take, urgent steps to ensure that any delay in initiation, where it is the direct result of financial pressures, is immediately addressed."
Similar steps are also being taken in other provinces. Minister Hogan said additional funding was and is being sought through donors, and she is also in discussion with National Treasury in this regard. Initiating new adult patients is of course an urgent matter. For this reason and because of the exceptional circumstances, the national Department of Health has been working tirelessly since late 2008 to secure further funding. Hogan said: "I can assure you that it is the intention of the government, the ministry, the national Department of Health and the MECs for health to ensure that all reasonable steps are urgently taken to ensure that priority is given to resuming patient initiation in the Free State. This is why we are actively seeking and securing additional sources of funding for this purpose."
Minister Hogan has also called on stakeholders to immediately share with her information where the care of a patient has been compromised due to financial pressures, including places where the alleged stock out of any essential drug has occurred. Hogan said: "This information is important so that I can take all necessary steps to investigate the allegations and do what I can to ensure that problems are effectively and promptly remedied."
The ministry regards communication with all stakeholders very seriously and is engaging all MECs on these issues regularly. The national Department of Health will also be meeting with the South African National Aids Council Programme Implementation Committee (SANAC PIC) and SANAC Treatment Task Team in the next few days to discuss ways of engaging in a co-operative partnership to address these very important issues.
For further queries please contact:
Fidel Hadebe
Cell: 079 517 3333
E-mail: hadebf@health.gov.za
Ayesha Ismail
Cell: 079 498 2898
Issued by: Ministry of Health
9 February 2009