Ghana missions abroad donate $100,000 to NMIMR … Ghana’s High C’ssioner to India gives 100,880 test kits
Ghana missions abroad have donated an amount of $100,000 to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) to assist in its pioneering role in dealing with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Besides these collective contributions from the Ghana missions abroad, an additional support of 100,880 test kits from Ghana’s High Commissioner to India, Mike Oquaye Jnr was extended to the research institute as a personal donation to help fight the pandemic.
Presenting the donation on behalf of the Ghana missions abroad at a brief ceremony in Accra yesterday, Mr Oquaye Jnr noted that, the vital role of NMIMR in combating the novel coronavirus deserves every support from corporate Ghana.
He added that with government’s strategy to test more people, the resources of NMIMR could deplete at a faster rate and facilities overstretched, hence the need to support the institute to acquire the requisite resources to carry out its mandate to curb the spread of the virus in the country.
Mohammad Habibu Tijani, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Regional Integration, who was present to grace the occasion, expressed joy over the good job being done by NMIMR, and encouraged every Ghanaian to show interest in what they are doing.
He assured of government’s commitment to ensuring that Ghanaians who are stranded abroad, due to the COVCID-19, are brought back to the country.
“We’re working around the clock, and based on the advise of the experts; we’ll open the borders to allow Ghanaians who are caught up outside, due to the pandemic, are brought back. We’ve taken data of those who want to come back and would assure them that, government would do everything possible to ensure that they are brought back safely,” he added.
The Director of NMIMR, Prof. Abraham Kwabena Annan, commended the Ghana missions abroad for the donation, which he said would go a long way to enhance its efforts.
He urged every individual Ghanaian to take the precautionary measures seriously, and adhere to them to avoid further spread of the virus.
“As a nation we have to make sure one person’s infection does not affect the other person, so what we have to do is to respect the preventive measures put in place and that would help reduce the spread,” he added
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR