KAMPALA- Two people living with HIV have dragged Attorney General William Byaruhanga and National Medical Stores (NMS) to court over their failure to supply public health facilities with septrin.
According to court documents, Grace Akite and Lawrence Kivumbi faulted the Attorney General and National Medical Stores after they failed to supply septrin yet it is one of the essential drugs used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS.
The complainants say that there has been no supply of septrin since March up to August this year in several public health facilities including Lwamata health centre in Kiboga and Amach health centre respectively, where they are registered to receive their medicines on a routine basis.
In the suit filed together with Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), a local health rights NGO, these state that it’s the obligation of government to stock public health facilities with essential drugs including septrin which is provided to persons living with HIV/AIDS.
They say that as a result of the drug stock-outs, they have suffered psychological torture due to fear of imminent death and resistance to opportunistic infections as a result of their HIV/AIDS status in the event they cannot afford to purchase septrin from private health facilities.
The duo also says they have been subjected to economic hardships in trying to buy Septrine from private clinics.
Through their lawyer of Dalumba Advocates, they now want an order that supply of septrin be made to all public health facilities immediately, the attorney general should inspect the four public health facilities and give a report to the court on the stock status of septrin within six months from the date of judgment.
