RATIONING of anti -retroviral drugs (ARVs) in health centres countrywide will continue until Government receives a new consignment expected in about two weeks time.

Government has assured those on the life-supporting drugs that there would be no interruption in the drugs as those due to receive would be given a portion, while waiting for the next consignment.

Ministry of Health spokesperson Kamoto Mbewe confirmed in an interview yesterday that anti -retroviral therapy (ART) centres that were running low on ARVs were rationing the drugs as they waited for a consignment that would arrive in Zambia within two weeks, while another batch would be in three weeks from now.

"There is enough stock for everyone until we receive more drugs. All we are doing is to give the drugs for two weeks instead of the usual three months to ensure that there is no short supply," Dr Mbewe said.

He assured the people that had been switched to Atriper from Truvada and Neviripine not to panic as the drug would not have any side effects.

"Experts have given the people their position and they shall be no side effects as the drug was within the guidelines of administering the disease," he said.

Government is in a process of switching medication for people that have been on Truvada and Neviripine to another drug which is said to work better.

According to a memorandum found at the clinics from the ministry accessed by the Times, only a minimum number of people should be left on Neviripine because it would be used as a second line treatment.

Last week, Dr Mbewe said the ministry expected to receive 91,500 bottles of Truvada in three weeks time and another 400,000 bottles in September, this year with the last consignment of 300,000 bottles of the same drugs expected in October.

In Kitwe, a check at Kitwe Central Hospital (KCH) yesterday revealed that the heath facility had been hit with the shortage of ARV drugs.

Public relations manager Gray Chishimba said the institution was running low on ARVs.

Mr Chishimba, however, said he could not specify the type of ARVs which were in short supply but confirmed that a shortage was looming.

Further checks at several Health Centres in Kitwe found that they were running on low supply of the ARVs.

In Southern Province, acting medical officer Kebby Musokotwane has appealed to patients on ART to remain calm because the province has adequate stocks of the drug.

Dr Musokotwane said in an interview yesterday that stock taking was conducted and they established that all hospitals and health centres that administer ed ART had full stocks in place.

Meanwhile, Dr Musokotwane said First Lady Christine Kaseba is today expected in Livingstone to flag-off the cervical cancer screening exercise in which thousands of women would be screened.

He said the exercise would be conducted through usage of mobile hospital units to be positioned at Mulwani Primary School and later would move to another area of operation for the screening exercise.