Hundreds of Botswana citizens who have been enrolled for Anti-Retroviral Drugs (ARVs) are risking their lives after it emerged that the country at some stage ran out of the life-saving drugs.
It has also emerged that a number of companies that supply the government with ARVs have approached the High Court seeking an interdict against the state.
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Moses Keetile confirmed that since the beginning of 2019 they have had some concerns that “we might run out of one ARV, Darunavir.”
He explained that that was due to some local challenges with one of their drug suppliers to deliver the drug on time.
“To mitigate for possible interruptions in treatment of our patients, we started rationing the drug while we worked hard to have the drug delivered to Botswana,” said Keetile.
He added: “We explained this to our patients some of whom were displeased with this temporary arrangement. We are however pleased to announce that Durunavir is now available in adequate supplies and we have resumed normal dispensing intervals.”
But Keetile reassured the public that they have adequate supplies of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.
“We have ample supplies of the same drug. Dolutegravir (DTG) is one of the first line drugs prescribed for patients initiated on antiretroviral,” said Keetile.
He explained that it is also available in fixed dose combinations with other ARVs and those drugs stocks are also adequate; the National Drug Availability of DTG and any other relevant ARVs is three months.
“The Ministry of Health and Wellness would like to reassure the public that we are committed to uninterrupted supply of ARVs to all those enrolled on antiretroviral care and any unexpected threat to the supply will be dealt with promptly,” said Keetile.
But despite Keetile’s assurance, it has emerged that a number of HIV patients’ may find themselves without ARV drugs following a court application that may disrupt supply of the life-saving drugs.
Records before the High Court show that at least two companies that supply ARVs want an organisation that procures drugs, Central Medical Stores (CMS) are to be interdicted from carrying out a tender to supply the drugs.
The companies in question have also approached the High Court separately seeking a review of the award of the tender to some of the competitors that had been granted the tender.
They also want to the decision by the Public Procurement Disposal and Asset Disposal Board (PPADB) to award the multi million tender be set aside.
The applications for review by Africure Pharmaceuticals Botswana and Portfolio Pharmaceuticals Botswana arise from the evaluation of a tender worth millions of Pula for supplies of ARVs to CMS.
It emerges from Court papers that PPADB unbundled and split the government tender identified as “Framework Contract the Procurement of Anti-Retroviral Drugs” and awarded it to five companies.
The aggrieved companies’ bone of contention is that the tender should not have been split among them.
KO/as/APA