Mothers of children with ASD report difficulty accessing continuous medication in Amazonas

Representatives of the Association of Mothers United for Autism (Amua) held a demonstration this Tuesday (7/5) in front of the Amazonas Medicines Center (Cema), on Avenida Duque de Caxias, Central South zone of Manaus, to draw attention from authorities regarding the difficulty of access and the lack of continuous use medications for the treatment of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

According to the president of Amua, Nubia Brasil, the state government is centralizing distribution and creating obstacles for those who need medicines such as Risperidone 2mg (liquid); Aristab (liquid), Ritalin, and diapers in small and medium sizes.

The demonstration, according to Núbia, did not have the objective of demanding assistance from representatives of the State Department of Health (SES) because, according to her, this stage has already been carried out without the expected result. “It is a protest about the lack of high-cost, continuous-use medication so that they can be delivered with less difficulty.” She highlighted that the medicines made available by the Unified Health System (SUS) are being centralized by the state government, which creates access difficulties for users, with the requirement of forms and other bureaucracy.

The demonstration was attended by families of patients with other comorbidities who also turn to Cema to obtain medicines. The protest closed the avenue for a few minutes and did not cause major traffic disruption.

The Amua representative informed that she filed the complaint with the State Public Ministry and the Federal Public Ministry and requested a public hearing so that people experiencing the situation can be heard.

“We are representing all people who use controlled medication. Our agenda involves mental health. But we have information that patients with heart disease, cancer and other needs are experiencing the same difficulty in accessing these high-cost medicines and supplies,” said Núbia Brasil.

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