Offinso records 474 HIV cases in 2015; 35 reported dead

Thirty-five people, mostly women, died of HIV/AIDS last year in the Offinso Municipality of the Ashanti Region. The deaths were among 474 cases of HIV/AIDS recorded in the Municipality by the Offinso Municipal Director of Health Service.

Miss Beatrice Appah, the Offinso Municipal Director of Health Service revealed at the 2015 Annual Review meeting of the Offinso Health Directorate.

She noted that the disease is real and attributed the increase to the fact that most patients who were on treatment fail to take their drugs regularly and instead resort to herbal medication, which worsens their plight.

The Health Director stressed the need for HIV patients to resort to the use of orthodox medicine for treatment, instead of trooping to prayer camps.

Ms. Appah said the municipality also recorded seven maternal deaths in the year under review and explained that Offinso recorded two, with four from Afigya Kwabre District and one each from Kumasi metropolis and Atwima Nnwabiagya District.

The Municipal Director appealed to the adjourning Districts to support the municipality in its effort to ensure zero martenal death in the area.

She revealed also that the Directorate recorded 45,007 of malaria cases, representing 16.5% and 101 cases of Tuberculosis, representing 30.5 %.

Ms. Appah called on the Municipal Assembly and the Offinso Traditional Council (OTC) to provide her with suitable accommodation as she complained of lack of accommodation for her, since 2011, when she assumed the position as the municipal Health Director of Offinso Municipal.

She was not happy about the encroachment of health centre and clinics in the municipality and appealed to the traditional Council and the Assembly to assist in curbing encroachment.

Dr. Alexis Nang Beifubah, the Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, advised personnel to work as a team to improve the performances in the health delivery.

Dr. George Acquaye, a retired medical specialist at the Namong Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Hospital, who chaired the function was not happy about high HIV/AIDS prevalence in the area and called on the Directorate to intensify its education to reduce HIV/AIDS cases.