TAC 'not too optimistic'

2003-06-04 21:13

Pretoria - The Treatment Action Campaign was "hopeful, but not too optimistic" that the Cabinet would approve a plan next week to provide antiretroviral treatment to Aids patients at state hospitals and clinics, TAC secretary Mark Heywood said on Wednesday.

The body knew the Cabinet had a document outlining the costs of such a step, and that this document unreservedly recommended its approval, he said at a news conference in Pretoria.

But Dr Kgosi Letlape, chairman of the SA Medical Association said: "Such an announcement will not change the lack of political will.

"Until we have the leadership of this country coming out clearly and unambiguously to declare war on HIV/Aids we will not win the battle."

Political will was not only measured by the finances made available but also by an abundant resolve despite a lack of resources.

"South Africans should judge their government very harshly if they treat us badly," he said.

"What we've tolerated... is not only unethical, it is tantamount to massive euthanasia. We as South Africans still participate in a kind of genocide against ourselves...

"We are the only nation with a policy of no treatment."

If this changed, health workers should no longer be disciplined for trying to help their patients, like Dr Thys von Mollendorff, who lost his job as superintendent for allowing a non-governmental organisation to provide ARVs at the Rob Ferreira hospital in Nelspruit, Letlape said.

"Provinces who do not spend the budgets earmarked for HIV/Aids should be put in jail. That's political will."

Even if a treatment plan was announced next week, there was still a problem with capacity, Letlape said.

"We need capacity, infrastructure and an improvement in services," said Edna Bokaba, a nurse at Soweto's Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital.

She said 80% of patients admitted to that hospital had opportunistic infections related to HIV. The hospital needed over 1 000 more nurses.

"No effort is being made to educate health care workers that when the roll-out comes they can be ready. They have involuntary ignorance. They feel insulted."

Nurses left the country and the profession because they were demoralised and poorly paid, Bokaba said.

Heywood said there were between 500 000 and a million people with Aids in South Africa in need of ARVs.

"There is no way if the announcement is made next week that half a million people will get ARVs."

According to Letlape, the capacity existed to treat about 100 000 such patients within the next three to four months.

Heywood cited the example of Brazil, which created capacity side by side with a roll-out of HRVs.

"That's what we ask here."

Not ready for Sars

Letlape also warned that the country was not prepared for an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, especially given the high number of people with compromised immune systems.

The purpose of Wednesday's news conference was to announce a TAC campaign, planned for Friday, to mobilise health workers in various provinces in support of a national treatment and prevention plan and the roll-out of ARVs.

This campaign had the support of all the major unions representing the workers, Gauteng co-ordinator Pholokgolo Ramothwala said.

The TAC had also embarked on treatment workshops for health workers, he said.

Heywood said: "We ask for a new vision for the health service to re-inspire people with confidence so we can beat HIV/Aids. The first step would be the government's commitment on antiretroviral treatment.

"We hope they don't miss that opportunity."

- SAPA