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RALEIGH – The state's budget crisis forced the Department of Health and Human Services to make cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, also known as ADAP, which in turn forced the program to close enrollment to new patients back in January.

“It's very difficult. It's a terrible situation having to tell people that, 'I'm really sorry, but this program is closed to you right now,'” Jacquelyn Clymore, the state's AIDS/STD director, said.

215 North Carolinians have been tested and qualify for the program but were turned away. They are now on a waiting list.

“The need has outstripped the financial ability to maintain the program open to everybody, so we had to close the program to new people in January,” Clymore said. “We're still maintaining those folks who are on the ADAP program who are getting their medication that way.”

Currently, it is estimated that nearly 35,000 North Carolinians are HIV positive.

More than 6,000 are on the ADAP program, but more need help, and that concerns Ian Palmquist, the executive director for Equality North Carolina.

Equality N.C. is a statewide organization that addresses issues important to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Palmquist also co-chairs the North Carolina AIDS Action Network.

“We're really worried that we're going to see not only people whose health is compromised or even die because they're not able to get medication they need, but that resistant strains will develop, and that's really a public health crisis,” Palmquist said.

Running the program is costly. It takes $42 million a year to run the program when it's closed to new clients, and $24 million of that is federally funded. The state has to come up with the rest, and this year they gave $11.5 million, which makes them about $6.5 million short.

“I do believe that Gov. Bev Perdue and the secretary of health and human services are very committed to the ADAP program, but it's an expensive program to run,” Clymore said. “These drugs are not cheap, and so it's a hard time to be searching for that kind of money right now. But I do think they're searching.”

A spokesperson for Perdue's office said the tough budget situation forced agencies statewide to make very difficult decisions, but the governor will continue to work hard to protect services. When the legislature meets in May, the issue is expected to be on the agenda.