Coronavirus: US donates critical medical supplies to Ghana Health Service

Madam Stephanie S. Sullivan, the United States Ambassador to Ghana, on Friday donated critical medical supplies and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Ghana Health Service.

The items are to assist frontline health workers in Kumasi and Sekondi in the fight against Coronavirus.

The Ambassador presented the supplies to Lieutenant General Obed Boamah Akwa at Burma Camp in Accra.

The supplies would be transported by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), who would be joined by representatives of the Embassy to deliver them on September 1 to the Kumasi South Hospital in the Ashanti Region and the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital in the Western Region.

The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) provided the funding to purchase the supplies locally.

The items, valued at over GHC430,000 include 10,000 N95 face masks, 1,600 hospital gowns, 2,000 litres of methylated spirit, 3,000 litres of sodium hypochlorite, 20 glucometers, 200 glucometer strips, and 14 pulse oximeters.

The donation of medical supplies and the cooperative delivery between USAFRICOM and the GAF are testaments to the advanced partnership between the United States and Ghana.

Madam Sullivan said: “The United States is leading the world in providing critical international assistance as, together, we battle this global pandemic.

And the GAF continues to play a leading role, along with the Ministry of Health, in responding to the pandemic here in Ghana."

"The US Embassy and AFRICOM are proud to partner with the GAF in this and many other endeavours.”

She said the medical supplies would support frontline civilian health workers, who were battling the COVID-19 pandemic with bravery and selfless service.

The doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and other health care workers are risking their lives every day to keep everyone safe, and these supplies would provide them with needed equipment to keep themselves healthy.

USAFRICOM in the past supported the 37 Military Hospital with a state-of-the-art Level II Field Hospitals in February 2020.

The GAF has since deployed one of the hospitals in Accra, and it is now the second-largest COVID-19 treatment centre in Ghana.

On his part, Lt Gen Akwa expressed gratitude to the US Government for the kind gesture towards the fight against COVID-19.

He said the US made similar donations to the 37 Military Hospital, including two-level field hospitals, one of which was deployed at the El Wak Stadium in Accra to support the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is in time of crisis that you know who your true friends are and the US has proven to be a true worth of Ghana, and in particular the GAF; during this crisis of COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

"The bond of friendship between our two countries and in particular the two armed forces have grown from strength to strength and this is going to continue as we roll on in the future."

He said since the partial easing of the COVID-19 restrictions, the US Government had provided opportunities for personnel of the GAF to study in the US, for which Ghana was very grateful.

He assured the Ambassador that the supplies would be delivered by the GAF to their intended destinations in good time and in perfect condition.