Mr Emmanuel Nii Teiko (2nd right), Financial Director, Kasapreko Company Limited, showing some of the equipment to Dr Victor Bampoe (left), deputy Minister of Health, at the ceremony in Accra.

Health Ministry gets support from 3 to fight Ebola

Phoebe Pappoe Oct - 25 - 2014 , 09:39

Three organisations yesterday donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and cash totalling GH¢400,000 to the Ministry of Health, in support of efforts towards preventing an outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the country.

The companies are Newmont Ghana Limited and Kasapreko Company Limited, as well as the Ghana Chamber of Mines.

The PPEs are to be distributed to personnel manning the various entry points of the country.

Some of the items donated by the Ghana Chamber of Mines are 225 sets of PPEs, 65 units of infrared thermometers, 30 hospital beds and 66 gallons of bleach, while Newmont Ghana Limited and Kasapreko Company Limited presented GH¢220,000 and GH¢20,000 respectively, together with other protective clothes and equipment.

Mr Johan Ferreira, President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and Head of Newmont Ghana Limited, who handed over the items on behalf of the two institutions, said the donation was made to demonstrate the company’s commitment towards the development of the country and as a partner to the fight against the deadly Ebola virus.

He explained that the items and cash were meant to help the ministry take proactive steps to prevent and manage the disease in the event of an outbreak in the country.

Ghana has not recorded a case of the disease.

According to Mr Ferreira, Newmont had designed a phased management approach that detailed the steps to be taken to manage the disease in case of an outbreak in the country.

“The approach foresees likely scenarios including confirmation of the Ebola virus in the country and its subsequent detection in the mine areas to ensure maximum safety,” he said.

Presenting a dummy cheque for GH¢20,000 on behalf of Kasapreko, Mr Stephen Opon, Director of Sales and Marketing, said the donation was the company’s contribution to securing the country’s borders.

A Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, who received the items on behalf of the ministry, thanked the donors for their support towards fighting the disease, stressing, “Indeed these companies have demonstrated collaboration between the government and the private sector.”

He urged other corporate organisations to emulate the good example set by the donors.