Offinso (Ash), April 16, GNA-Mr William Joe Adusei, International Consultant on Development AIDS project and HIV Treatment, has said that HIV/AIDS is assuming more clinical and scientific status and that health personnel needed to be abreast with it.

He noted that the complex nature of the virus and its process development makes it more clinical and scientific and to be tackled with seriousness.

Mr Adusei was speaking at a day's HIV/AIDS workshop to reactivate the HIV/AIDS activities organised at Offinso Saint Patrick's Hospital for 25 health personnel on Friday.

It aimed at finding a co-ordinated approach to check and increasing spread of the disease.

It would also help the participants to discuss and write a proposal to the management of the hospital to provide the necessary financial and logistic support towards HIV/AIDS programmes. He said the reports at the hospital had shown that the disease has been on the increase and stressed the need for them to design effective approach to check it from spreading.

Mr Adusei urged the participants to mount HIV/AIDS educational campaigns to sensitise people on the real existence of the pandemic and how to avoid contracting it.

The consultant appealed to the participants, Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to deepen their understanding of the disease to help them know its various stages of development.

Mr Adusei suggested to the management of the hospital, as a matter of urgency to appoint a permanent HIV/AIDS Co-ordinator to be in-charge of HIV/AIDS activities.

Mr. Stephen Dwamena Boateng, Principal Executive Officer of the hospital, also appealed to people to go for voluntary AIDS test to enable them to know their status. He called on people to have love and compassion for those living with HIV/AIDS and not to shun them in society. Miss Georgina Konadu, Nursing Officer in-charge of Tuberculosis (TB) Control at the hospital, urged people who have been infected with the disease to report at the hospital for treatment counselling. April 16 05