A committee set up by about 40 organisations of people living with HIV/Aids is investigating reports of ghost patients receiving anti retroviral drugs from the Ministry of Health's certified Aids treatment centres.

The Consortium of Advocates for Access to Treatment (CAAT) said on Thursday in Kampala that the presence of ghosts on the anti retroviral beneficiaries lists supported by the government and donors was blocking bonafide patients from accessing treatment.

This follows a move by donor-funded programmes to stop recruiting new people who qualify to start taking anti retrovirals, citing tight budgets.

There are reports that donors are not happy with accountability for money released. Mildmay, Joint Clinical Research Centre and other centres supported by PEPFAR have since June suspended recruiting new patients on treatment.

Ms Florence Nagawa, the Advocacy officer with the National Forum of People Living with HIV/Aids, said even when patients die; their files are retained as active ARVs recipients.

The numbers

Uganda currently has 1.3 million people living with HIV. Out of which, 350,000 are eligible for ARVs. Out of these, about only 180,000 are getting ARVs. This means that most of the people who need the life-saving drugs do not get them.

Ms Nagawa said government should find out if the said beneficiaries really exist.