An estimated 8,2 million South African currently live with HIV and since identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have lost their lives to the virus.
However, the programme to make the medication available to all HIV-positive persons attending government clinics has made it possible for people living with HIV to lead an everyday life.
Assisting South Africans in obtaining this life-changing medication, South African Post Office (SAPO) spokesperson Johan Kruger explained that the Post Office now offered a convenient collection point to thousands of patients attending government clinics.
“Anyone who collects chronic medication from a government clinic, but who lives closer to a post office than the clinic, can request the clinic to collect the medication from the Post Office,” he said.
According to Kruger, the service is aimed at patients who live or work closer to a post office than a Government clinic. He further pointed out that the main benefit of the service is longer operating hours, as Post Offices are open until 5 pm and on Saturday mornings.
“The collection service is available at 342 post offices in all provinces except the Western Cape. These post offices were selected because they comply with the requirements of the Department of Health. Medication that requires specialised storage, such as cold storage, cannot be collected from a Post Office,” explained Kruger.
If anyone would like to collect their HIV medication from a Post Office, Kruger explained that they should ask their respective clinic to arrange it.
“The Department of Health sends the patient an SMS when the medication is ready for collection and patients have 14 days to collect it before the medication is returned to the Department of Health,” he concluded.
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