Disarray over AIDS funds in Puerto Rico, says NYT

A recent article originally published in the New York Times (NYT) alleged that funds destined for HIV/AIDS patients in Puerto Rico have been woefully mismanaged. As a result, “hundreds of HIV and AIDS patients are not receiving vital medical care” including getting antiviral drugs weeks late and having clinics cut needed services.

Despite Puerto Rican officials denying any misuse of funds and advocates calling on the federal government to play a more active role:

“"The state of HIV treatment here is a catastrophe," said Dr. Jose Varga Vidot, director of Community Initiative, a private group in San Juan that provides primary care to 1,600 patients including drug addicts, prostitutes and homeless people. He said he knew of at least 75 people who were unable to obtain all their drugs from government clinics for up to a month”.

Blogger Andrés Duque at Blabbeando, (who helped NYT reporter Erick Elkholm’s article), links to letters by Senators Tom Coburn (R) and Hillary Clinton (D) expressing concern over the problem with HIV funding in Puerto Rico.

Sources- Blabbeando, International Herald Tribune

Image- New York Times (According to the photo’s caption: “Six times in the last year, Rolando Warren Gonzalez said, he has suffered two-week periods with no AIDS drugs, undercutting the life-prolonging benefits of modern therapies against HIV.”)