AIDS treatment under threat says Prague centre head

The head of the Prague AIDS Centre Marie Stankova has said that the treatment of AIDS patients has been put under threat following budget cuts by the Health Minister. Mrs Stankova was reacting to a statement deleted from health ministry regulations that had previously allowed centres to cross budget "ceilings". Mrs Stankova says that centre officials had repeatedly discussed the problem with the Health Ministry. She says that unless some compromise can be reached, centres will have to consider limiting treatment with new effective but costly medication. Of 730 HIV-positive patients registered in the Czech Republic, 350 are undergoing treatment.

Author: Jan Velinger