A native of Asuboi who is based in the United States of America has chastised health officials for what he says is a slow and lackadaisical approach to the outbreak of river blindness in the community. Clinical laboratory scientist of Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Andrew Owusu-Baafi, is unhappy that despite media reports on the plight of the people in the farming community, there is no sense of urgency in the response of health authorities. He recently led a medical team on a visit to Asuboi during which 12 out of 32 residents tested positive for the worm which causes river blindness. Mr. Owusu–Baafi travelled with his group to the community located in the heart of the Abofuor Forest to offer medical support to residents after Multimedia broke the story. Health officials say treatment for the disease will begin in the third week of this month. Mr. Owusu-Baafi however accuses health officials of downplaying the seriousness of the situation though they had earlier estimated about 70 percent of the 2,500 residents were infected. "Every officer who enters here right now is politicized. They don’t care and they are protecting their seat… Most of them would be saying this is not a big deal. Its everywhere, it takes five or ten years for somebody to become blind. But the fact is that they did not know how long these people have been infected with the worms. "When I look at it under the microscope, they (worms) are full grown worms with the egg and everything. Nobody should downplay their existence. They need to be addressed as soon as possible" Mr. Owusu-Baafi told Nhyira FM’s Ohemeng Tawiah who first broke the story. Mr. Owusu-Baafi said samples of the test would be sent to the renowned Center for Disease Control in the U.S for verification, and the results forwarded to the World Health Organization for medical aid. Meanwhile, drilling of two boreholes being financed by Moneygram at the cost of GHS25,000 is on course. The project being executed by Water Solutions is expected to be completed in three weeks. Story By: Ohemeng Tawiah, Nhyira Fm-Kumasi