More PLWHA patronising Fevers Unit

Accra, Feb. 9, GNA - A total of 3,650 people infected with HIV/AIDS were at Fevers Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital by the close of 2005.

Ms Leticia Awuku, Nurse Counsellor at the Unit, told members of the Media Advocates for Population and Development (MADPA) during a visit to the centre on Wednesday that 255 People Living with HIV/AIDS have been to the Unit this year.

MADPA members, as part of a day's seminar, visited the Unit to interact with inmates and also donate items including toiletries, provisions and cash for the upkeep of the patients and nurses. The Unit, known formerly as Isolation Unit, where communicable diseases are treated, had to be changed to Fevers Unit because it scared people, who visited the centre.

"It is called Fevers Unit because most diseases treated here start with fever," Ms Awuku noted.

Currently patients from the USA, Germany and many West African countries come to the centre where they receive services, including counselling, Ms Awuku told the Media persons. She said PLWHA preferred going to the Fevers Unit because anti-retroviral drugs cost 50,000 cedis for a month while it costs about 2.4 million cedis on the counter.

According to Ms Awuku, on normal clinic days, about 150 PLWHA visit the Unit for either treatment or counselling. These include those referred from various clinics and hospitals and were attended to free of charge.

She urged all infected people to feel free and walk boldly to the Unit to get proper counselling and treatment since HIV/AIDS could now be managed like diabetes and hypertension. 09 Feb. 06