Marikana accused denied treatment: The Star doesn’t drive it home
Kim Johnson
31 August 2012
As the Marikana horror continues to dominate news, an article in The Star (28 August 2012) drops the ball on the secondary and yet still critical issue of miners in police custody who are not receiving their HIV and TB medication.
In the wake of the tragedy at Marikana, The Star has tried to draw attention to allegations that the 260 striking mine workers arrested by police have not been receiving vital medications for HIV and TB while in custody.
But The Star has taken the wind out of its own sails by neglecting to emphasise the dangerous implications of not taking medications for TB and HIV as prescribed. Instead the article simply touched on the issue and then moved on to recount the gruesome events of 16 August.
In addition to the situation being a clear-cut violation of human rights, it is crucial for patients receiving treatment for TB and HIV to continue to take their drugs regularly as prescribed or risk drug resistance.
When HIV or TB become drug resistant treatment options become increasingly limited. Poor adherence can also increase the risk of drug resistant strains passing from person to person, as has been the case with multiple drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB.
Had The Star mentioned why adherence to HIV and TB medication is important it would have given the piece the punch it needed to communicate the seriousness of the situation.
But instead the piece shallowly mentioned the ‘what’ instead of getting to the heart of the matter with the ‘why’.
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