BOSG equips hospitals with HIV/AIDS screening machines

May 3, 2007 :: Ahmed Mohammed,Maiduguri Daily Trust,Abuja,

The Borno state government has reiterated its commitment to provide all the necessary support required for the screening and treatment of HIV/AIDS in the six centres designated for the treatment of the pandemic.

The six screening centres, which were recently established are based in the state's Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri and the general hospitals in Monguno, Gwoza, Askira Uba and Ngala.

The secretary of the Borno State Action Committee on AIDS (BOSACA), Dr Ibrahim Gida disclosed this while speaking with Kanem Trust in Maiduguri.

Dr Ibrahim Gida, who is the director medical sciences in the Ministry of Health, told Kanem Trust that government is ready to equip the centres with all the necessary equipment under the World Bank credit scheme.

The BOSACA secretary said the HIV screening machines are bought for the state by the World Bank because of their cost-intensive nature. He added that when the machines are available, the centers will be able to carry out all the investigations required for HIV and other diseases.

On antiretroviral drugs (ARV) for people living with HIV, Dr Ibrahim said the drugs are given to the patients free of charge.

He said within this year, the six centres selected by the Borno state government will be fully functional since the government has completed all the necessary arrangement for the procurement of the necessary machines.

On the people living with HIV, Dr Ibrahim Gida said that BOSACA has distributed the sum of three million naira micro finance loans to empower them to be self reliant.

The medical director said the wife of the Borno state governor, Hajiya Fatima Ali Sheriff, who is the vice chairman of BOSACA distributed poverty alleviation materials to the people living with HIV and renovated the office of the Hope Initiative, an NGO catering for people living with HIV/AIDS.

He appealed to the community to avoid stigmatising HIV carriers, adding that they are human beings who need the society's support.