122 HIV/Aids Cases in Blood Screening Exercise

About 122 HIV/AIDS cases of donated blood have been identified through screening at the Dunkwa Government Hospital between 1998 and mid-2001.

A breakdown of the figure indicated that 60 people were HIV positive in 1998, whilst the year 1999 recorded 24 cases.

In 2000, there was a rise again of 33 cases, but as at mid-2001 only 5 persons were said to be carrying the dreaded disease.

These figures, according to a hospital source, were shadows in term of the real situation in the district.

Sources say in mid-2001 a majority of the Achease community in the Upper Denkyira District were allegedly infested with HIV without any serious attention given to that village as at now.

Chronicle gathered that a prostituted from Tema who hailed from the area brought it to them when she was tested HIV/AIDS positive at the Korkofu Hospital.

She died later in the community. It has now been a headache to Nana Akyena, the chief of the area.

Mr. Obeng Danso, the Biostatiscian of the Dunkwa Hospital told the Chronicle that some people on admission at the hospital left to have treatment at home when their family members realized that medical examinations, including HIV/AIDS test, revealed HIV/AIDS carriers.

Although, AIDS is real in the district, there had not been any intensive education programmers on the pandemic as majority of the people seemed oblivious of the danger associated to it, the Chronicle can reveal.