Over 700 people living with HIV/AIDS including women in Bar sub-county in Lira district pitched camp at Bar Hospital protesting failure by health workers to get them ARVs drugs.

The patients have complained that for the last one week, they have been denied access to the life prolonging drugs for HIV positive people and no clear explanation has been given by the hospital administrators.

The much needed ARV drugs

The chairman of KAMIDIRO persons living with HIV/AIDS Tom Odyeke says they came to the health centre III three times but they were denied access to the drugs.

Odyeke narrated that on July 1st 2011 the in-charge of the health unit Miseki Ochen who used to attend to them went on a one long annual leave and left Alex Etumu the medical officer to take charge of the management until July 30th when will resume work.

But according to Lira resident district commission Susan Akanyi Etumu the medical workers went away without informing any one.

Beatrice Amoro and Jennifer Atim both attached to ARTT clinic reportedly failed to show-up at their work place since last week according to the RDC.

The sub-county Chairperson, Joel Peter Atine said he had for the last one month been receiving complaints from patients that they have been neglected by the health workers.

Some health workers at the clinic have reportedly not been reporting to work since last week. Marion Teddy Adson a registered midwife says the government was responsible for the situation. She says only three staff at Bar health centre have been getting regular training on the management of the anti retroviral drugs.

The district health officer Dr. peter Kusolo says would conduct investigation into the misconduct at the health unit. Kusolo says he sees no reason why the patients should not be given ARVs when they are available.

ARVs are supposed to be taken on schedule and failure to take the anti-retrial rival’s at the right intervals breeds resistance of HIV to the drugs which.

By Mugisa Isaac Mathias