Dikeledi Mafole, 63, is always running out of antiretroviral (ARV) medication because her local clinic in Itsoseng, North West, experiences shortages.
Mafole, who takes medication for HIV, asthma and high blood pressure, is among frustrated patients haunted by widespread medicine stockouts in the province.
According to a report released by Ritshidze, a community health data collection research project, on Thursday, 398 cases of medication stockouts across 57 facilities were captured between April and May in the province.
These included critical medicines like ARVs and contraceptives. There are also stockouts of pregnancy tests and bandages.
Mafole said she fetches her ARV every two months because the clinic did not have enough to administer.
“Every time I go to the clinic, I wonder if I will return with enough medication. It’s so frustrating,” said Mafole, who gave permission to be named.
The pensioner, who said she has been taking the pills since 2006, said her children had to buy medication for her every time she runs out.
“If it was not for my children, I would have died a long time ago. When we complain about not getting enough medication to last us, the nurses shout at us. There are many of us who struggle with medication,” she said.
The report is based on the results of data collected through Ritshidze’s community-led monitoring of facilities in partnership with the Treatment Action Campaign and Stop Stockouts Project.
More than 600 patients were interviewed about their experiences while researchers also spoke to facility managers.
About 26% of people interviewed said they knew someone who had gone to a clinic and left without the medicine they needed.
Data was collected from facilities such as Lonely Park Clinic, Bapong CHC, and Boitekong Clinic among others.
Another female patient, who asked not to be named, said she also struggled to get her ARVs and sometimes had to share medication with a friend.
“I end up having to spend money to buy pills. But when I can’t afford to, I share it with a friend. We count the tablets and split it among ourselves equally,” the woman said.
Provincial health chief director Masela Mokhutswane-Kaudi said the department had noted concerns raised in the report and would draft an action plan to implement the recommendations made.
“We have noted the complaints from the community. It’s unfortunate that sometimes things happen at the facilities that we are not aware of but we cannot shy away from them,” Mokhutswane-Kaudi said.
Ritshidze data collection officer Ndivhuwo Rambau said North West scored worse than other provinces they previously monitored.
Rambau said patients, especially those in remote rural areas, were forced to incur extra costs to buy medications at a pharmacy which meant taking taxis out of their village.
She said shortages of contraceptives and pregnancy tests meant that women in such areas could not get proper family planning, resulting in many unintended pregnancies.
There was also a 10% shortage of contraceptive implants which Rambau said was caused by a shortage of nurses who are trained to install the device.
She said transport issues and the shortage of pharmacy assistants at clinics were some of the problems that contributed to a shortage of medications. Pharmacist assistants are responsible to monitor medicine supplies and make sure the pharmacy is well stocked.
“We are recommending that by September 2022 the North West health department must reinstate pharmacy assistants who had their contracts discontinued in 2021,” she said.
mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
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