AVRL, GWCL commission health facility for staff

Accra, Aug 26, GNA - Aqua Vitens Rand Limited (AVRL) and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), on Wednesday commissioned a walk-in infirmary for members of staff to check their HIV, TB, Hypertension, Hepatitis and Diabetes status on regular basis. The centre, which would also provide first aid, was the result of a collaborative effort between AVRL/GWCL and GTZ ReCHT, a German aid facilitation organization.

AVRL/GWCL and GTZ have since last year, been collaborating to implement a project dubbed HIV/TB Workplace Project, under which workers were encouraged to check on their status and to be sympathetic to persons living with the infection.

Over a three-year period, between 2008 and 2010, AVRL/GWCL have earmarked GHC75,000, in bits of GHC25,000 every year, whiles GTZ, through the assistance of the German government, also provided financial, technical and capacity building support to the project. Mr. Maxwell Hammond, Project Officer from GTZ said the Centre was replicated in AVRL/GWCL offices across the ten regions, adding that for each centre, GTZ had provided medical kit of diagnostic equipment, first aid box, a bed and other equipment worth about GH2,000. He noted that the original foci were HIV and TB but the scope had now been widened to cover Hepatitis, Diabetes, Hypertension as well as breast and cervical cancers, adding that at the end of the three years, GTZ would extend the collaboration period.

"We have also trained members of staff to work as peer educators and also to provide first aid services," he said.

He said once every quarter, GTZ would also sponsor a medical doctor to the centres to counsel and attend to patients, adding that those found with medical problems would be referred to the hospital. The two parties were are also collaborating with the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) to provide HIV testing kit and certification. Mr. Daniel Moumolah, Customer Care Manager at AVRL said the facility was the first in the history of GWCL and urged staff members to make maximum use of it and seek attention to ensure a "Healthy Body and Productive Worker".

Prior to the inauguration, two Public Health Officers from the 37 Military Hospital, Dr. Habib Sanu and Francis Billson gave separate talks on HIV, TB, Hepatitis B, Diabetes, Breast and Cervical Cancer.