Fighting COVID-19: Republic Bank donates to Swedru Government Hospital  

The Republic Bank Ghana Limited branch in Agona Swedru has presented Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and sanitary items worth GH₵10,000 to the Swedru Government Hospital to help in the fight against the deadly COVID-19 pandemic within its catchment areas.

The gesture is the first to be received by the hospital in the wake of the pandemic after it sent a number of requests to corporate bodies for support due to pressure on its medical logistics.

The items included two thermometer guns, packets of tissue paper, 5,000 pieces of hand gloves,, five boxes of face masks, 10 Veronica buckets, eight gallons of liquid soap, three boxes of rubbing alcohol and a box of hand sanitizer.

Staff contributions

Speaking at a short presentation ceremony at the forecourt of the hospital’s administration block, the Zonal Manager, Central of the Republic Bank, Mr Akwasi Peprah-Odoom, said that the gesture was made possible through the benevolent contributions of the staff of the bank.

He commended the staff for voluntarily contributing their widow’s mite to procure the items for onwards presentation to health facilities in all areas where the bank had presence so as to equip the facilities to respond to suspected cases of the pandemic.

He noted that the world is currently facing an unprecedented challenge as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which called for aggressive support from all stakeholders towards containing the spread of the virus.

He said “the fight against the pandemic is not for government alone, neither is it for the World Health Organization (WHO) nor for the health workers’, saying that it is a fight for all humanity and that everyone must play its role to tackle the pandemic.

Earmarked funds

He indicated that the bank’s parent company, the Republic Financial Holdings Limited had already announced $2million contribution towards the fight against the pandemic across its 13 territories globally.

In addition, he noted that pertaining to Ghana, a whooping GH₵1.1million contribution had also been announced to support the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, the Kumasi South hospital and health centres across the country to combat the virus.

He added that the pledge falls under the bank’s power to make a difference programme and is targeted to assist with the purchase and provision of critical needs such as ventilators, PPEs, testing kids, among others in the fight against the deadly virus.

He admonished all corporate bodies to do their part as part of the corporate responsibility to resource health facilities with their pressing needs in the face of the pandemic since government alone cannot shoulder the burden in these difficult times.

Gratitude

For his part, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Dzodzegbe Apetorgbor, who received the items on behalf of management, thanked the bank for being first business entity to come to the aid of the hospital.

He noted that due to the location of facility which attracted patients from more than six adjoining districts, the hospital’s logistics and resources are overstretched in its quest to provide quality health care to patients.

He added his voice for Ghanaians to particularly wear face masks at all times so as to control the rapid spread of the virus.