Rotary donates PPEs to frontline health workers

The COVID-19 Rotarian Response Team in Ghana has donated Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) worth GHC 115,000 to the Ghana Association of Doctors in Residency, to protect frontline healthcare workers against the infection of the COVID-19.

The items were hand sanitizers, N95 masks, protective eye shields, surgical gloves, examination gloves, coveralls, safety goggles, Veronica buckets, paper towels, handwashing soap, and facemasks.

The donation was made possible through contributions from Rotarians to complement government’s efforts in ensuring that healthcare workers are well protected to help combat the disease.

Dr Nii Akwei Addo, the Co-chair of the COVID-19 Rotarians Response Team in Ghana, presenting the items, said the gesture was upon a request made by the Ghana Association of Doctors in Residency.

He said funds were mobilized through generous donations from Rotary Clubs across the country, individual Rotarians, friends and families as it was in line with Rotary International’s six areas of focus.

"The six areas include disease prevention and control, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, economic and community development, peace, conflict prevention and resolution, as well as basic education and literacy.”

Dr Addo said the donation was the first phase of the COVID-19 Rotarian Response Team and efforts are being made to procure more items to support the fight against the disease.

Dr Florence Akumiah, the General Secretary of Ghana Association of Doctors in Residency who received the materials, expressed gratitude to the Team for the donation adding, this would go a long way to give protection to health workers in their line of duty.

She said there were shortage of PPES in most of the health facilities, hence the need for an urgent call for support to ensure that doctors were not exposed unduly while providing care for persons affected by the disease.

“This is important because if doctors continue to be exposed it would get to a time that there would not be enough health workers to attend to the sick,” she said.

Dr Akumiah gave the assurance that the items donated would be distributed to the various facilities that are in need.

Ghana has so far confirmed 195 cases of the virus with death toll at five and total recoveries remain three.