First lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo has donated more than 5, 000 COVID-19 Rapid Test Kits to some selected Health Institutions in the country.
The test kits which were made available to the Rebecca Foundation by Abbott Laboratories Limited with support from Ghana Gas Company, are to enhance the capacity of the beneficiary institutions to detect early COVID-19 infected patients and administer the required treatment.
The beneficiary institutions are the Effia Nkwanta Hospital in the Western Region, Kaneshie Polyclinic in the Greater Accra Region, Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in the Ashanti Region, and the Cape Coast University Directorate of Health Services in the Central Region, with each institution receiving one thousand (1000) packs of the test kit.
At a brief ceremony to present the items to representatives of the beneficiary health institutions on behalf of Mrs. Akufo-Addo, Director of Operations at the Office of the First Lady, Mrs Akosua Newman said though COVID-19 vaccines had been developed and were being administered to the citizenry, it was imperative that “we continue to be on our guard by observing the safety protocols until we achieve our vaccination targets.”
She said several countries across the world were still reeling from economic damages caused by the pandemic, with some experiencing food shortage and increased crime.
She described the rapid test kits as very important in stifling the growth and spread of the disease.
The Regional Director of Abbott Laboratories (West Africa), Ayodele Kofoworaba said his company was happy to associate with the Rebecca Foundation in providing medical solutions to all who need them.
He said it had always been Abbott Laboratory’s mission to bring life-changing health technologies to the people who needed them, stating that the company’s new “BinaxNow” COVID-19 Rapid Test Kit, was just one of the Company’s many breakthrough contributions in medical devices development and advanced health care.
On behalf of the beneficiary institutions, the Head of the Cape Coast University Directorate of Health Services, Dr Evans Ekanem, thanked Mrs Akufo-Addo and the Rebecca Foundation for the donation, stating that for a disease like COVID-19 whose symptoms could lead to a misdiagnosis of Malaria, Typhoid Fever, or just stress, the rapid test kit would significantly enhance accurate testing, and subsequent accurate treatment.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
