Health News of Thursday, 20 March 2008

Source: GNA

Doctor appeals to people to patronise VCT Centre

Hohoe, March 20, GNA - Dr Edwin K. Danoo, Medical Superintendent of the Hohoe District Hospital, has called on people in the district to patronize Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis centres for psycho-therapy and analysis. The VCT Centre, which has been operational since last September, has 50 clients undergoing psychotherapy and treatment with additional 40 others on follow-ups after diagnostic counselling and testing. Dr Danoo said this during the inauguration of a GHc 2,200 sanitation facility sponsored by the Hohoe branch of the Ghana Registered Nurses' Association (GRNA).

Dr Danoo said the hospital boast of a modern laboratory, built from its internally generated revenue and would soon start operating the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) unit. He said it was sad patients continued to disregard the use of the hospital's state-of-the-art physiotherapy unit that has a specialist and rather patronise the Volta Regional or Korle Bu Teaching hospitals. Dr Danoo appealed to the people of Hohoe to assist the management to construct a fence wall around the hospital to safeguard the land from encroachers.

Madam Emma Azumah, Counsellor in-charge of the Centre, said her outfit was preoccupied with diagnostic counselling and testing, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, counselling and provision of anti-retroviral therapy.