EDITORIAL: State correct on ARVs for zama-zamas

Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s stance on sending antiretroviral medication down to illegal miners trapped underground in Stilfontein should be applauded. 

The illegal miners who remain underground in the old Buffelsfontein mine in Stilfontein, North West, sent a roughly written note to the surface this week requesting authorities and community members to send the HIV/Aids medication down to them. Police initially indicated they would acquiesce to their request — it is unclear whether they had done so at that stage.

However, Motsoaledi indicated in subsequent interviews he had a discussion with the police ministry advising against it. He argued the authorities could not sanction the dispensing of such highly controlled medicine without a proper diagnosis and prescription.

The health department set policy and did not dispense medication. ARVs were prescribed after a thorough consultation with a doctor and following strict protocol in providing the treatment, he said.

“We can't just dish out ARVs like that. It is not Panado or vitamins or over-the-counter medication. This is a prescription medicine which is controlled and which must be given to a particular individual by a doctor. If there is any doctor that says he has a patient down there and has diagnosed them and [that he or she] has been delivering ARVs to that patient and [he] wants to go and deliver, that will not be stopped by police.”

The provision of ARVs was not something to be done on a whim, irrespective of whether the illegal miners refusing to surface have been legitimately diagnosed and prescribed the treatment.

In the end, police agreed they would not prevent any doctors who had patients underground from going down to assist. 

Allowing water and food to be sent down to the miners is one thing; sending down controlled prescription medication in a dangerous impasse between police and alleged criminals without following proper protocol is a step too far.