Help us with money for AIDS patients, appeals Mwami Hospital

Mwami Adventist hospital in Chipata district has appealed to Society for Family Health (SFH) to assist the hospital with finances to help the increasing number of people on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART).

Hospital Administrative Officer Enock Chitakwa said a total of 702 people were
currently on ART at the institution compared to the 631 in 2004 when it first
started the therapy.

Mr. Chitakwa stated that the overwhelming response from the public on Voluntary
Counseling and Testing, and adherence to treatment called for the increase of
finances to the hospital.

“We hope SFH will take it on board as there are a number of issues that require
financial resources to be addressed,” he said.

Mr. Chitakwa disclosed that the staff at the hospital were not well paid adding that
their salaries have not been revised in a long time.

“Alhough the hospital initially paid staff in relation to their counterparts in the
government institutions, their incomes have not been revised as those from the civil
service,” he said.

And a nursing supervisor at the institution stated that one of the major challenges
in the administration of ART was that a number of people only went for VCT when and
after they suffered some illnesses and when their CD4 count had reduced.

Samuel Chailila said a number of deaths that were due to HIV and AIDS related
illnesses were because people went for VCT when it was too late to administer
treatment.

“It is difficult to treat someone when the CD4 count is very low, some people come
when it is as low as eight, such are the ones who die,” he said.

He disclosed that 64 people died from AIDS related illnesses this year.

Mr Chalila advised people to go for VCT if the number of AIDS related illnesses that
led to death were to be reduced.