Dr. Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo
The World Health Organization (WHO) Ghana Office has presented 55 oxygen concentrators and 1.8 million nasal swabs and virus transport medium kits and 12 packages of nucleic acid extraction kits to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
The package worth $122,000 is to support the country’s Covid-19 response in sample collection, laboratory diagnosis of the virus and the management of severe Covid-19 cases.
The WHO country representative, Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, in a few remarks before handing over the items to the health authority, said the donation followed the assessment of case management facilities which revealed the need for capacity building for the management of severe Covid-19 cases.
She commended the government for the strong political leadership and the bold measures put in place in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“It is good to see that every arm of the government is working together in this venture, and I commend the government for this effort,” she said.
She added that over the past few weeks, the country had recorded a steady decline in cases with a similar trend being observed in other countries in the African region.
Dr. Kimambo, however, noted that some countries were experiencing a second wave of the infection, highlighting the importance of still adhering to all safety protocols and measures instituted.
“It is critical for Ghana to maintain the momentum and continue to detect, test, trace, isolate, treat and mobilize our people in this collective response to the point where the Covid-19 is no longer a public health threat,” she stressed.
The WHO country representative, therefore, pledged the continuous support of the agency to the country in the fight against Covid-19 to emerge triumphant.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) Director-General, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, who received the item, thanked the WHO for its support, adding that the UN agency provided technical and financial support for the Covid-19 preparedness and response in the areas of coordination, surveillance and laboratory, case management and risk communication.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri