The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), on Tuesday, donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to be distributed to the frontline health workers dealing with different kinds of patients in respective health institutions.

The PPE valued at about GH¢400,000.00 comprised 4000 pieces of non-sterile gloves, 500 sterile gloves, 520 isolation gowns, 200 FFP2/N95 face masks, 500 coveralls, 110 panoramic goggles, 105 face shields, 3,256 bottles of hand sanitizers, 1500 show covers and 1000 disposable aprons.

Mr Niyi Ojuolape, the Country Representative of UNFPA, Ghana, said the gesture was to support the government in its quest to protect frontline health workers who were at the forefront of the COVID-19 management in the country.

“If we take good care of frontline health workers, then, the nation will be in a good position to contain the spread and management of COVID-19.” Health workers, he said, had suffered the infections across the globe, hence, a recommendation for them to be provided with PPE to control the situation.

The UNFPA has provided other forms of support towards the management of COVID-19 in Ghana such as the distribution of a “welcome pack”, containing basic necessities including towels, kinds of toothpaste and brushes, and bathing soap, to every COVID-19 patient who got admitted at the Pentecost Convention Isolation Centre, to be able to take care of themselves.

Mr Ojuolape said the UNFPA was also working with government agencies and departments to find solutions to the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country.

“We have had major interventions in the areas of sexual and gender-based violence, by working with DOVVSU and the Ministry of Gender in different forms to be able to look out for the implications of the pandemic in different forms.”

Dr Kofi Issah, the Director of Family Health Division, GHS, said the public had been infected with COVID-19 including health workers who were trying to offer healthcare to the infected.

The work of the Family Health Decision, he said, involved going into communities to support them with PPE and provide them with the necessary education on the respiratory disease to enable them to stay safe.

The PPE have come in timely, and the existence of the virus means the Service would need continuous supply of PPE.

“We have teams outside in communities gathering data on emergency care so that we can support them. So these have come timely and would help us in the discharge of our duties,” Dr Issah said.

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General, GHS, who received the items on behalf of the Service, expressed gratitude to the UNFPA for the support, which he said was not the first of its kind from them.

“As part of your business continuity, you are also helping the government to stem the spread of COVID-19 by providing us with essential equipment like these,” he said.

The items, he said, would help a lot especially as health workers were taking lots of risks in dealing with patients with confirmed or unconfirmed COVID-19 status.

“As we all know, more than 2000 health workers have contracted COVID-19 and that shows the risk involved in their line of duty, so these items will be of help to the Service to maintain the status quo of COVID-19 in Ghana, especially as the numbers have reduced,” he added.