Accra, May 27, GNA -Standard Chartered Bank has donated Personal Protective Equipment to the Korle- Bu Child Health Department to support the fight against the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
The PPE are made up of N95 masks and surgical gloves for frontline staff.
Presenting the items, Clementia Tetteh, Director External Communications & Sustainability Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing at Standard Chartered, said the bank appreciated the dedication and sacrifice of frontline workers in the fight against COVID- 19.
“We are committed to supporting institutions with the resources they need to carry out their support for the children effectively”.
Standard Chartered believes in giving back to the communities we live in and as part of the COVID-19 relief package, we are helping children who are at home to read and where else to start than the Child Health Department.
Receiving the items, Dr. Christabel Enweronu-Laryea, the Head of the Child Health Department of the Korle Bu Hospital, expressed gratitude to Standard Chartered Bank for the donation, saying that the Department was happy that the bank responded to their request.
She said the PPE are items that are close to the heart of staff of the department as they are critically needed by the frontline to protect themselves better and not be afraid to do the work.
Later, Standard Chartered donated portable Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing equipment to the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) to support and expand testing capabilities in the fight against COVID 19.
The portable PCR equipment would enable KCCR to remotely test samples of suspected COVID-19 cases making it possible to test more people and within their communities and neighbourhood hence providing the ability to detect cases much quicker.
Receiving the equipment, Professor Richard Philips, the Scientific Director for KCCR, said the donation would go a long way in the fight against COVID 19 as it would complement other equipment at the centre.
The PCR equipment is a mobile one and the institute could use it to augment its work in testing for the virus at meetings and at the borders, where people could be tested before entry as well as areas identified as hotspots.
These donations form part of the Bank’s initial GH¢1million commitment to fight Covid’19.
The Bank has already made donations including; testing equipment and Personal protection equipment to hospitals and health facilities across the country as well as supporting the vulnerable in underserved communities.
GNA