Brazil supports Ghana's coronavirus fight with ventilators

The Brazilian Embassy, on Friday, donated two ventilators valued at $160,000 to the Ministry of Health to be used in managing patients who have contracted COVID-19 and are at critical stages.

Madam Maria Elisa De Luna, the Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, said the fact that Brazil was still battling COVID-19 did not mean it should not extend a helping hand to other countries who also needed support.

She expressed contentment with how far the ventilators could go to save lives. She described Ghana as a “historical friend” to Brazil, hence the donation only showed how the two countries valued each other and the friendship that existed between them.

The Ambassador applauded the leadership of Ghana for putting in place effective measures to manage the pandemic and commended the public for adhering to the safety protocols set by the World Health Organisation, Ghana Health Service, and the President to control the spread of the respiratory disease.

“In terms of fighting the virus, I can say that Ghana is a star and has won our admiration.

“I will encourage Ghanaians to keep adhering to the rules set by the leadership just as you have been disciplined and conscious in this fight because that is what has helped you,” she said.

Dr Bernard Oko-Boye, the Deputy Minister of Health, commended Brazil for its longstanding relationship and support to Ghana in the wake of the pandemic.

He said the COVID-19 situation in Ghana had been encouraging due to the firm leadership by the government in giving effective directives and joining forces with private and development partners to provide logistics for the management of the situation.

He wished Brazil well in the fight to free her citizens from the pandemic, saying he believed that it would soon record lower active cases than what Ghana had recorded and pledged Ghana's preparedness to help in that regard whenever it was required.

“We need to arm ourselves and stay ready until the virus is wiped off. We are in this fight together, so we must fight because when one nation gets into trouble, others would be affected,” he added.

Dr. Oko-Boye said though the nation prayed that no critical COVID-19 case was recorded again, the ventilators in extreme cases would help to save lives. “We want to win quickly in fighting the virus and that demands that we have good strong partners like Brazil. We know that when the virus is gone, we will all gather again to celebrate,” he said.

Ghana has so far recorded 413 active COVID-19 cases, 301 deaths, and 45,942 recoveries and discharges out of the total number of 46,656 cases recorded.