Ghana Mission in Washington DC and the Ghana Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, in collaboration with United States-based Ghanaian Churches and Associations, has donated $59,850 to the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund.

Madam Martha Pobee, Acting Chief Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, presented the check on behalf of the Missions to Dr Justice Yankson, Chairman, Technical Committee, Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund, on Friday in Accra.

The Washington DC and New York Missions raised and transferred the funds to the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund as their contribution to the ongoing fight.

The funds were raised through donations from individuals, who were mobilized through the Washington Mission’s Facebook account, a Virtual Music Concert which attracted 250,000 viewers and contributions from the Mission’s GoFundMe account.

The Collaborators in this effort have through the Washington and New York Missions, expressed the desire to donate to the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund, to purchase equipment and logistics for the 100-bed Isolation Centre at the Ga East Municipal Hospital.

Madam Pobee said the world was facing an unprecedented loss of human life and livelihood, and no community or economy anywhere had been spared the devastating effects of the disease.

She recalled that the virus hit Ghana on 12th March 2020, and in less than a week, the number of infected persons increased by over 300 per cent, with two deaths.

According to the Ghana Health Service, as of 12th April, 2021, the country had recorded 91,545 cases, with 1,379 being active cases and 89,400 recoveries.

She noted that regrettably, 766 persons on Ghana had succumbed to the disease.

“It is, however, encouraging to know that in the midst of the gloom, Government, benevolent organizations and individuals from across Ghana, as well as Ghanaians in the diaspora had rallied in response to the negative impact of the coronavirus disease on the lives of Ghanaians,” she said.

She said the Ministry, with support from Ghana’s Missions abroad, had undertaken a number of activities in a bid to enhance the efforts of Government in the fight against the coronavirus disease and its effects on the society.

Madam Pobee thanked the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund for its efforts in the provision of interventions to support Ghanaians who had been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

“The impressive achievement reflected in the construction of the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre, the first of its kind in Ghana, to enhance the country’s fight against infectious diseases, is one worth replicating in other sectors of national endeavor, and clearly an inspiring feat in our nation’s development.”

She thanked the Ghana Mission in Washington D.C. and other Missions for their relentless support to the fight by the Government against the COVID-19 disease.

Contributors to the fund include Ghana Physicians and Surgeons Foundation, USA; Ghana Public Health Association, USA; Ghana Pharmacists Association, North America; and North American Ghana Nurses Foundation.

Others are Church of Pentecost USA Incorporated; Presbyterian Church of Ghana, North America and Australian Presbytery; International Central Gospel Church; and The Roman Catholic Church.

“We would also like to recognize the Musicians who supported the virtual Music Concert free of charge: Our special thanks go to Sonnie Badu and his company Analytiks for putting together the wonderful production. His pro-bono production works alone was worth over $30,000,” she said.

Madam Pobee lauded Mr Barfuor Adjei-Barwuah, Ghana Ambassador to the United States, under whose leadership the initiative was carried out.

Similarly, she recognized the contribution of Mr Kobby Koomson, Ghana’s former Ambassador to the United States, and also expressed gratitude to Mr Barwuah Edusei, Ghana’s Ambassador to Switzerland for his generous contribution of $10,000.

Dr Yankson, who is also the Ghana Medical Association General Secretary, expressed his gratitude to the Ghana Missions for the kind gesture, saying, that plans were underway to open another Infectious Disease Hospital in Kumasi.