Newspaper Review 1

Date: Saturday, 6th December
Article: Subsidised drugs for HIV patients
The Strait Times, Page A3.

Overview:
People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), do not have to worry much about the expensive cost of medication anymore. The government has decided to subsidise their medicines. This change of heart came on Monday, when the Health Minister asked the Communicable Diseases Centre (CDC) to draw up a list of drugs that should be eligible for subsidies. It gives them access to drugs that can keep them alive for many years. Most significantly, it means that HIV infection will finally be treated no differently from other chronic illnesses. The doctors are overjoyed when they knew this as the change means that the patients with HIV no longer need to die because they can't afford the drugs to keep them alive. Also, the Health Minister decided that the commitee of experts will apply the same approach as they do when evaluating drugs for other diseases and they should not single out HIV for special treatmnets. The move by public hospitals to offer HIV screening to in-patients is in line with this policy too.

Reflection:
I think this new policy is a good one as the HIV patients no longer have to worry about not having enough money to afford the medication and they wouldn't have to die just because they can't afford the drugs to keep them alive. With the Government subsidising their medicines, the HIV patients wouldn't have to work as hard as they did in the past, which could worsen the conditions of their illness. Furthermore, they could save up the money that they used to have to pay every month for the medication.

I agree with the Health Minsiter that HIV illness should not be treated no differently from other chronic illness. Just like any other chronic illness, HIV infection is one of the major illness in Singapore, yet it is the only major illness for which medication is not subsidised. HIV patients should be given the same benefits as the patients of other chronice illness, and not to be left out by the government.

The move by public hospitals to offer HIV screening to in-patients is in line with this policy. This can encourage many people to come for the check-up to see if they are infected with HIV virus. Those diagnosed and treated early can still live a productive life well into their 60s. People who found that that they are infected with HIV virus would be able to seek treatment early and this would mininise the effect the HIV virus have on them.

In conclusion, I think that this is a very good policy. I believe that not only the victims of HIV infection will benefit from this policy, but also the people who are not infected too.

Ruifang :D (Sorry for late submission of work.)