Monarch expresses concern over lack of anti-retroviral drugs in Gokana!

THE CHAIRMAN of Bodo Council of Chiefs and Elders in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chief Mene Sylvester Kogbara, has warned that the HIV/AIDS awareness campaign  in the area may fail due to unavailability of HIV/AIDS drugs.

Kogbara, who stated this during a one-day advocacy meeting with traditional rulers and Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairmen in the LGA, said: “We have a total of 16 health centres in 17 communities of Gokana and two General Hospitals situated in Terabor and Bodo, but none of them has anti-retroviral drugs."

While commending the efforts of Governor Chibuike Amaechi-led government to develop health facilities in the state, the royal father urged the government to go beyond building infrastructure in the sector and equip hospitals and health centres.

He said: “Necessary drugs for HIV/AIDS need to be made available regularly for people living with the dreaded disease.”

Kogbara also used the forum to call on the state government to institute a monitoring mechanism to identify HIV positive mothers. “This is because it has been found that most pregnant mothers don't go to the hospital to access treatment after they have been diagnosed of HIV/AIDS.”

Also speaking, the medical officer in-charge of the Terabor General Hospital, Dr. Ndii Dimkpa, noted that since his assumption of office in the hospital three years ago, HIV/AIDS drugs have not been available.

Dimkpa explained that in addition to the unavailability of HIV/AIDS drugs, most people in the locality are either ignorant or refused to accept the existence of HIV/AIDS.

The Executive Director of the Rivers State Agency for the Control of AIDS (RIVSACA), Dr. Chimeizi Okeh, urged participants “take the meeting seriously.