Abena Osei Poku
ABSA BANK Ghana has made a donation of GH¢500,000 to the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research (NMIMR) to support the institute’s role in fighting against Covid-19.
According to Absa Bank, the donation was to increase the capacity of the testing centre in order to keep up with daily cases being reported.
Commenting on the donation, Abena Osei-Poku, Managing Director of Absa Bank Ghana, indicated that the support was a demonstration of the bank’s commitment to help win the fight against Covid-19.
“As a bank that has been playing a shaping role in our society for over a hundred years, we remain committed to the fight against the pandemic and will continue to support those at the forefront so together we can all win,” said Mrs. Osei-Poku.
“We believe that efficient and timely testing is a crucial prerequisite for early detection and treatment. This initiative is therefore to complement the government’s effort against further spread of the virus and to help consolidate the progress we are making as a country,” she added.
In response to Absa Bank’s support, Prof. Abraham K. Anang, Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research, expressed the institute’s appreciation for the gesture.
“This donation is timely and will go a long way to enhance the work of the institute in the fight against Covid-19 in the country. These are not normal times and your thought of our work in this trying moment is very much appreciated,” said Prof. Anang.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Ghana, Absa Bank has committed over GH¢2 million to support key health institutions and frontline workers.
In April this year, it donated an amount of GH¢1 million to the National Covid-19 Trust Fund set up by the government. The donation was towards the procurement of test kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) to support increased testing and the protection of frontline health workers.
In collaboration with Genser Energy Ghana and its partners, the bank also donated PPE, ventilators and other key medical supplies worth US$50,000 to the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ashanti Regional Hospital, to support the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.