The Free State health department was a victim of its own success when it ran into shortages of antiretroviral medicine, Health Minister Barbara Hogan says.

The Free State health department was a victim of its own success when it ran into shortages of antiretroviral (ARV) medicine, Health Minister Barbara Hogan said on Thursday.

"Free State health was a pace-setter in the ARV field as far as the rollout of the programme, together with the Western Cape [was concerned]," she said in Bloemfontein during a visit to the province.

Hogan said more people had needed ARV medicine than could be budgeted for.

The minister, accompanied by a large national department delegation, indicated they were "just visiting" to talk to healthcare workers and patients.

"This is not a fact finding mission, but also not a 'hi and goodbye', because we met senior management, health workers, civil society and stakeholders."

In November 2008 the Free State stopped taking in new ARV patients, saying there was no money or medicine. The moratorium was lifted in February this year.

Hogan said of the 28 ARV clinics in the Free State only seven had not taken in new patients due to lack of medicine, while one type of medicine was still not available in the province.

However, some 500 patients had been taken up in the ARV programme since the moratorium was lifted.

Hogan warned that medicine orders placed by the state were based on money available and not the number of patients.

She said it should be made clear that the Free State's situation was due to "pressures on resources" and not bad management.

Hogan also admitted that Free State health MEC Sakhiwe Belot warned about the pending situation in September last year. "He had been upfront."

She said South Africa would, during future crises, turn to overseas donors.

"I do believe in a crisis situation you must get donor money," she said, adding that a special unit had been set up in her department to co-ordinate this.

"We have to condition ourselves about looking for donor money and look hard."

Hogan said with the international economic crisis affecting the national economy "not much extra money" would come to health.

The minister visited staff and personnel at the Pelonomi Regional Hospital in Bloemfontein, while talking to patients and personnel at the Mangaung clinic on their expectations about healthcare in the province.