HIV patient ‘supplied’ ARV drugs to brewers of illicit liquor
Some of the HIV drugs that were recovered during a raid on illicit brew dens in Isiolo. The drugs are said to have been used to lace the brews in order to make them more potent.
The antiretroviral drugs that illicit brewers in Isiolo were found to be using to make liquor two weeks ago were supplied by an HIV patient, investigations have revealed.
Residents of Bulapesa said the woman, who died recently, supplied the brewers with the drugs very early in the morning in exchange for liquor.
Reports indicate that the woman obtained the drugs from local public and private health facilities but did not use the medicines.
Residents who spoke to Nation.Africa but did not want to be named, said she supplied the majority of the brewers in the ward and received several glasses of alcohol in return.
She was also sometimes given some money depending on the quantity of the drugs she supplied.
“She had lived with the disease for many years but at some point stopped taking the medication but continued picking up the drugs, which she gave out in exchange for liquor,” one resident said.
Sources claim she also used to collect drugs from other HIV patients in the vicinity who had quit taking them.
Discovered during raid
The drugs, in plastic containers, were discovered by a team of national government administrators in a raid.
The five-hour raid on several dens also unearthed the use of painkillers, high blood pressure drugs and formalin by the brewers, putting consumers at high risk of health complications.
Isiolo Central Assistant County Commissioner James Macharia said preliminary investigations showed that the woman colluded with the local hospitals to access the drugs including expired ones.
"She used to collude with officers at the local hospitals to access the drugs which she sold to the brewers," Mr Macharia told Nation.Africa.
His sentiments were echoed by Bulakati village elder Wario Elgoi.
Unlike the commonly used methanol, lead acid and dry cells, the brewers laced the liquor with the drugs to speed up fermentation as a way of earning cash quickly.
Some of the seized ARV drugs had expired, meaning they could have been acquired by the brewers over a year ago.
It is claimed the woman colluded with rogue health workers at a local public hospital to access the drugs in huge volumes.
“I would occasionally see her coming from the hospital with large quantities of drugs but it never dawned on me they were ARVs,” another resident said.
“I wondered why her health was deteriorating so quickly, until we discovered she never used to take the drugs,” the resident added.
Stern measures
Isiolo Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Kepha Marube told Nation.Africa that he had asked health officials to come up with stern measures to prevent any loss of drugs.
Though patrons know that illicit alcohol is produced in an unhygienic environment, they prefer it over other alcoholic drinks because it is cheaper.
The availability of unregulated brews is blamed for the surge in the number of intoxicated men and women who loiter in Isiolo town.
A majority of the drinkers said they had suffered loss of vision, appetite and memory.
