The Sunday News
THE number of blood samples tested for CD4 count at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo has gone up to an average 2 000 per month against the institution’s capacity of 1 200 tests, triggering fears this could bring challenges in monitoring HIV patients in the region.
A CD4 count is a lab test that measures the number of CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 cells) in a sample of the blood. In people with HIV, it is the most important laboratory indicator of how well the immune system is working and the strongest predictor of HIV progression.
Officials said the health institution’s main challenge was in procuring reagents as its allocation from Government through Natpham was no longer enough to cater for rising demand. Acting Principal Director Curative Services at the Ministry of Health and Child Care Mr Douglas Mangwanya said demand for reagents has gone up in Bulawayo after private companies opened up sites to do CD4 counts in the city but did not have stocks of reagents.
“We have sites that were opened in the periphery of Bulawayo to do CD4 count tests but the donors had not supported the reagents such that Mpilo had to use its allocation to aid them resulting in stock outs,” said Mr Mangwanya.
Mpilo hospital is doing CD4 count tests for patients from 18 Bulawayo City Council clinics, National Aids Council (NAC), Nkayi, Nyamandlovu, Esigodini, Plumtree and Mpilo hospitals each month.
Mpilo Assistant Chief Medical Laboratory Scientist Mrs Agatha Hlongwane said the institution was not operating at full capacity as their quota for reagents from Natpham was inadequate.
“We get reagents from Natpham and our allocations are the same for UBH, Gweru and other institutions yet our client base is very different so we are always running out of stocks,” she said.
Mrs Hlongwane said while UBH caters solely for its own patients they (Mpilo) have a wider patient base across the region but still receive equal amounts of reagents. She said on average more than 400 CD4 counts tests per day are done at Mpilo hospital.
The Principal Medical Laboratory Technician Hematology department at Mpilo Mr John Chitumbura said the institution was now relying on sister institutions when they run out of the much needed reagents.
“We end up going to seek for assistance from other institutions so that there is constant flow of operations. Last time we asked from UBH and we are looking at St Lukes now for assistance. We however, have to give back the reagents we will have borrowed to the hospitals once we secure ours,” he said.
Mr Chitumbura said in December 2015, the institution did 2 364 CD4 count tests and 2 899 in November.
Procurement of reagents is done by the ministry’s partners which are the Global Fund, USAID, Centre for Disease Control, Unicef and National Aids Council as the ministry itself has no funding to so.
The increase in the number of CD4 count tests has been attributed to the new WHO guidelines which say anyone who is tested and is found to be HIV positive and their CD4 count is below the required 500 should be initiated to Antiretroviral therapy unlike before where one was initiated on a CD4 count of 350. This has led to an increase in number of people doing CD4 counts.
However, to avert shortages, Government said it was expecting the situation to normalise by next month.
Mr Mangwanya said the Government through its partners has ordered for new stock which was expected in the country in few weeks.
“Reagents will be available beginning of February, they have been secured already,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mpilo has received equipment worth more than 40 000 British pounds from a United Kingdom-based Reverend Alan Clarredge. He donated water purification plants, clothing, blankets, stationery and an assortment of drugs. Rev Clarredge who is a medical water technologist once worked at Parirenyatwa group of hospitals and said he sourced the goods from his church members.
“At Rivers of Living Waters where I congregate there are people who assisted me to come up with these goods, we also have old people who knitted the blankets for the hospital. I also received a huge donation from London Victoria insurance,” he said.
Mpilo acting chief executive officer Mr Leonard Mabandi said Rev Clarredge has assisted the institution for decades.
“Our friendship dates back to 37 years agowhen he was involved in setting up the first water plant in the renal unit in Harare and also the first water plant at Mpilo too. He has proved to be such a resourceful friend of Mpilo,” said Mr Mabandi.
The water purifiers are useful in removing the huge amount of natural contaminants from water supplies. The plant also services other departments in the hospital namely theatre, X-ray and the pharmacy.
Mr Mabandi said other health institutions such as Tsholotsho, Maphisa and St Lukes hospitals together with BCC clinics and Population Services International Laboratories will use the same water from Mpilo’s laboratory. Rev Clarredge has also donated the purifiers to UBH, Ingutsheni, Gweru, Kwekwe, Kadoma, Chegutu, Tsholotsho, Plumtree, Masvingo and Binga hospitals.
