By ALISON ANIS
CLINICS in Goroka, Eastern Highlands province, have reportedly run-out of HIV testing kits due to increasing numbers of people turning up for tests after attending HIV/AIDS awareness programmes.
Sister-in-charge of St Joseph clinic in Goroka Catherine Chinou reported that they now face shortages in chest-buffer and determine-strips (strips use to mix solutions to determine whether a person is HIV positive or not) because they were getting new visitors everyday, with a high number of regulars queuing up for blood tests.
“The number of visits seems to be increasing everyday as more and more people turn up in groups to get their blood tested for HIV,” Sr Chinou said.
“We had more than 2,000 visitors for voluntary testing and counselling since opening up our services in 2005.”
She added that people there were very eager to come forward and get tested.
She said numbers varied with age group and women, mostly mothers, were among the highest group visiting the clinic.
“We also have cases of married couples, young women and men involved in premarital sex and fathers visiting our clinic too.”
Sr Chinou, who is also in charge of the HIV/AIDS programme, reported they had had 34 visitors over the past four days and 15 new visitors, however, she feared they might not be able to run tests this year as test kits were running out fast.
“I have to put in a new order to our supplier to make available test kits so we can continue to provide screening for HIV. I hope this will be made available soon.”
Majority of the visitors reported having attended outreach programmes run by NGOs and faith-based organisations while others have received word of mouth from those who actually went for tests.
Sr Chinou said the clinic only had three nurses who provided counselling before and after testing and ran tests for volunteers.