Govt able to treat all HIV patients - Chilufya

GOVERNMENT has the capacity to treat all people found to be HIV positive and whose number may increase following the introduction of the mandatory HIV Testing, Counselling and Treatment policy, Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya told Parliament on Wednesday. Dr Chilufya said it was government’s responsibility to provide medication for all its citizens who would test positive following the introduced policy. Dr Chilufya was responding to a question for oral answer by Luangeni Member of Parliament, Charles Zulu who wanted to find out if government had the capacity to treat all citizens who would test HIV positive. He said all health institutions including private ones, were expected to adhere to the policy. “Yes Mr Speaker, government has capacity to treat all citizens who will test HIV positive and all health institutions should adhere to the mandatory HIV Testing, Counselling and Treatment policy,” he said. Co-operating partners such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), among others through financial and material were helping government in attaining the policy, he said. Patriotic Front Roan MP Chishimba Kambwili in a follow-up question wondered why the Ministry of Health had allowed Anti-Retroviral drugs worth about K 1 million to expire as reported by the 2016 Auditor General report. Dr Chilufya assured the House that the Ministry of Health had put in place robust mechanisms to prevent such recurrence.