TB patients to undergo HIV test in Upper West

Wa, Aug 19, GNA - The Upper West Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service has directed medical facilities in the region to conduct HIV test on all patients who report for tuberculosis treatment. This would afford medical staff the opportunity to administer anti-retroviral drugs to TB patients who test positive to the virus alongside their normal medication.

Dr Daniel Yayemain, the Senior Medical Officer in charge of Public Health in the region, said this at the annual mid-year health review conference held at Wa.

Giving an overview of the health situation in the region, he said four cases of anthrax were identified in humans in the Wa West District and because of the early detection, the disease was stopped from spreading.

He said inadequate funding was a major hindrance to their monitoring activities and that while five billion cedis was received for their programmes as at June last year, the amount dwindled to about three billion cedis as at August this year. Dr Yayemain said the region received 1.25 billion cedis from UNICEF for training programmes and one billion cedis was expected from the same organization. He said there was slow progress in the staffing position of health facilities with and that 68 staff came to the region while nine left. Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minster, advised health institutions to hold on to the certificates of bonded health professionals until they finished serving their bonds.