ACNS:
The Synod of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, meeting at Modderpoort in the Free State from 16 to 20 February 2009, have been shocked at the news that the Provincial Department of Health in the Free State has withdrawn anti-retroviral medication from HIV positive patients because of shortage of funds.
Read it all.
IOL:
The Free State premier Beatrice Marshoff has denied assertions that the province’s health care system is in tatters.
…
She said the provincial government could assure its citizens there was no crisis in health care and that the government would provide adequate health care.
BuaNews (Tshwane) | 10 February 2009:
Pretoria — Health Minister Barbara Hogan has promised to do whatever she can to ensure that all patients in the country have reasonable access to health care services including life saving medicines.
Regarding the delay in patients starting their HIV treatment in the Free State, Minister Hogan said she has already taken, and will continue to take urgent steps to ensure that any delay in initiation, where it is the direct result of financial pressures, was immediately addressed.
…
The minister also called on stakeholders to immediately share with her information where the care of a patients have been compromised due to financial pressures, including places where the alleged stock out of any essential drug has occurred.