Tamale, April 18, GNA – Mental Health Advocacy Foundation (MHAF), a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in the Northern region, has donated 20 gallons of liquid soap to the Out-Patient Department (OPD) of the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), to aid fight against COVID-19.
The donation, done in partnership with Total Life Enhancement Centre Ghana (TOLEC GH) and Kesmi FM Morning Show, was to enhance proper handwashing practice among staff and visitors of the department, towards curbing the spread of the virus.
Mr Stephen Asante, Director of MHAF, said the gesture was part of his outfit’s corporate social responsibility, and that, winning the fight against the disease called for active cooperation of everyone.
He said “we all need to come on board and offer our little support to complement the government’s efforts and I believe this will help us to overcome this serious problem we are encountering as a country”.
He called for attitudinal change among residents, saying “everybody has a part to play for us to combat the spread of the virus, and we can only do that with discipline and strict adherence of the precautionary guidelines given by health experts”.
Mr Peter Mintir Amadu, Executive Director of TOLEC GH, emphasized on the need for the citizenry to practise frequent handwashing under running water, adding that they should at all times ensure social distancing and avoid crowded areas, and also frequently sanitize their hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizers to prevent them from contracting the virus.
He appealed to members of the public to desist from stigmatizing persons who had tested positive to the virus, and were treated and recovered from it, adding that such acts could have negative impact on the victims.
“We operate in the area of mental health and so we are ready to offer psychological assistance to individuals to curb the stigmatization that characterizes COVID-19 among patients”, he noted.
Mr Misbao Mohammed, the Acting Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the TTH, expressed gratitude to the organizations for the kind gesture, and said the items would complement the Hospital’s efforts in fighting the coronavirus in their premises.
He appealed to other institutions and individuals to support the TTH to curb the disease by equipping it with vital equipment to enhance their health service delivery to residents.
GNA