A VCT centre. Patients who recently tested HIV positive risk missing critical laboratory tests due to the nurses' strike.[Photo: unodc.org]Patients who have recently tested HIV positive are at risk of missing critical lab tests due to the ongoing nurses’ strike that is in its 145th day even though some nurses have returned to work.When a person tests HIV positive he or she needs haemoglobin tests to measure protein in red blood cells. Liver and kidney functions are also tested before patients are put on life-prolonging treatment, the Star on Friday reports."Though HIV clinics are run by clinical officers, nurses play a critical role in counselling and health check-ups before referring patients to clinical officers," Network of People Living with HIV chairman Nelson Otuoma told the Star on Thursday.Otuoma said if the strike is not addressed soon, Kenya could soon face a resurgence of new HIV infections, especially among newborns saying antenatal care has been seriously undermined."We are not saying the nurses strike is not important. What they are asking for are valid concerns. But we must also complain and tell the government it must find a solution to this stalemate to avoid rolling back on the gains that have been made in the fight against HIV," Otuoma added as quoted further by the Star.According to the National Aids Control Council (NACC) statistics, 600,000 HIV-related deaths have been prevented in 14 years. Aldo, there has been a decline of children’s infection from 27,000 in 2009 to about 7,000 in 2015.

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