Agency To Support HIV/AIDS Programmes In Kano

The Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS (KSACA), has pledged more support to public and private health facilities engaged in HIV/AIDS programmes.This is contained in a statement signed by Usman Gwadabe, the Public Relations Officer of the agency and made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Thursday.According to the statement, the agencys Director General, Dr Bashir Usman made the promise when he received a delegation from Al-Noury Specialist Hospital handling HIV/AIDS Relief Project.The statement said during the visit, the delegation complained of shortage of manpower due to lack of funds.Usman reaffirmed that the Agency would support such programmes with the required manpower and other services.KSACA will not let you down, we will find a way of sustaining the services and addressing the manpower needs of your organisation, he said.The director general also pledged to provide HIV testing kits and other consumables to the hospital.In his remarks, Al Noury HIV/AIDS Programme Manager, Bilkisu Abdussalam said the facility has handled more than 3, 000 HIV patients since the project started in 2005.According to her, no fewer than 1, 263 patients are presently receiving ARV drugs on regular basis at the hospital.She however said following fund reduction from donor agencies, the hospital could no longer afford to take care of its staff, which have been reduced from 60 to just 11.With the expected withdrawal of the current partner by October this year, the future of clients in Al Noury is doomed, Abdussalan lamented.She therefore urged the Agency to support the hospital in sustaining payment of allowances to its staff.Before now antenatal and delivery were free but due to lack of funds, the patients are now being charged and most of them are indigent, she added. (NAN)
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