BY JOHN MKOM

JALINGO — No fewer than 250 people living with HIV, yesterday, took to the streets in Jalingo, Taraba State capital, protesting the alleged inability of the state government to come to their aid.

They later proceeded to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Jalingo where they pleaded with the resident doctors, currently on indefinite strike to re‑open the Medical Clinic 2 where they were usually treated, for their sake.

Speaking to newsmen at the FMC, the coordinator of the patients, Mr. Johnson Abraham, said the neglect of the patients by state government had led to further spread of the disease in the state.

Johnson said the HIV rate in the state had risen from 5.8 to 10.5 per cent in a short period  between 2007 and 2013.

He lamented that the people living with the disease in the state were not accessing the prescribed drugs because of the nonchalant attitude of the state government towards their plight.

He said: “We are over 3000 people that are taking the drugs in this hospital. Each time we come for treatment, health officials would select just 30 to attend to, sometimes 20. We are not accessing the drugs, we are the being discouraged.

‘’The doctors are on strike and there is no way the Clinic 2 will be opened for us to be treated. Mind you, the disease has not gone on strike with the doctors. It is still with us. We are appealing to the management of the hospital to resolve whatever is their problem and return to work to save lives.