Kwesimintsim (W/R), April 30, GNA - Reverend Winfred Azornu, Kwesimintsim District Pastor of the Evangelical Presbyterian (EP) Church, on Saturday advised Christians Living with HIV/AIDS to declare their status to their Church leaders and congregations to enable them obtain spiritual and material support. He gave the advice when presenting items worth five millions cedis to the Kwesimintsim Hospital on behalf of the Emmanuel EP Church, Kwesimintsim at Sawmill, near Takoradi.

Members of the Church had earlier undertaken a four-hour clean-up exercise at the hospital.

Mrs Ernestiana Aboagye, Principal Medical Assistant at the hospital received the items that included loaves of bread, oranges, pineapple, bed sheets and curtains.

Reverend Azornu, who is also in-charge of the Emmanuel EP Church, said members of the EP Church, who declared their HIV/AIDS status would be assisted by the Church to acquire skills that would enable them to earn a living instead of depending on others.

He spoke of the need to avoid discrimination against People Living with HIV/AIDS as this could hamper their reintegration into the Church and the larger society.

Reverend Azornu said Jesus Christ did not discriminate so the Church would not encourage discrimination against People Living with HIV/AIDS. He said the Emmanuel EP Church had embarked on training on grass-cutter rearing for unemployed youth of the Church.

Reverend Azornu appealed to the Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly and NGOs to assist the Church to fully implement the grass-cutter project.

He said the Church had adopted two wards at the hospital and would continue to assist the hospital.