Accra, May 6, GNA – The COVID-19 pandemic continues spreading across the World and in Ghana, its impact is increasing due to the rising numbers of infected people, increasing risk posed to healthcare providers, and its hardship on the general population.
In line with the Rotary motto of ‘Service above Self’, Rotarians in Ghana with the support of Rotary District 9102 pulled together resources to contribute to the national response in a three-pronged approach.
In March, Rotarians and their friends donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including N95 face masks, goggles, coveralls, examination gloves as well as sanitizers, complete handwash stations, to frontline healthcare personnel through the Ghana Association of Doctors in Residency Programs (GADoR).
On Tuesday May 5, Rotarians in Ghana donated various high-quality PPE to the Ghana Health Service. The event, which took place at the forecourt of the Ghana Health Service complex was attended by the leadership of both Ghana Health Service and Rotarians in Ghana.
Presenting the items valued at over GHC125,000, Dr Nii Akwei Addo, Assistant Governor, Rotary International District 9102, noted the long-time partnership between Rotary and the Ghana Health Service in the area of disease prevention and control.
“Today we are here with this set of items to support efforts in fighting the pandemic. We’ve been partners for long in areas of national immunization, disease prevention, and control,” he said.
“It is my pleasure to share this certificate with you which is signifying the donation of the listed items to our traditional partner in health care, the Ghana Health Service,” he added.
Receiving the items, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye lauded the existing relationship between the GHS and Rotary.
“On behalf of the Service and the Minister of Health we want to thank Rotary. I think Rotary has been a good friend for a long time from the immunization days, to polio and Family Health Days and it will have been surprising if we did not hear from you,” he said.
“We are grateful and this will go a long way to helping the health service workers who need these items,” Dr Kuma-Aboagye said.
Making a second donation later in the afternoon of the same day at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Dr Nii Akwei Addo said Rotary had procured 2,500 PCR test kits and swabs valued at GHS200,000 in line with Rotarians support to increase testing for COVID-19 in Ghana to help curb the spread.
“As part of our discussion with Noguchi we agreed on the supply of PCR test kits. We hope the test kits we have paid for will go a long way to support national efforts at increasing testing so you can continue to trace, test, isolate, and treat,” Dr Addo said.
On his part, Mr Theodore Ahuno, the Administrator of the Institute, expressed gratitude to Rotary for the support in the trying time the Institute finds itself in the era of COVID-19.
“We are very happy that Rotary has come to our aid with the procurement of testing equipment. It will go a long way by helping us increase the tracing and testing so that together we try to end this pandemic earlier than we think so that we go back to our normal duties and to help ourselves in terms of health issues, economic and our daily lives,” he said.
So far, the Rotarians in Ghana have collectively provided goods over GHS 500,000 (Five hundred thousand Ghana Cedis) to support the national response at both national and sub-national levels.
Rotarians in Ghana and throughout the world take action to make communities better. They contribute their skills, time, energy, and passion to carry out meaningful and sustainable projects that promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, improve sanitation, help mothers and children, support education, and grow local economies.
GNA