Two of Ghana’s Diplomatic Missions in the United States have donated US$59,850 to the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund.

The donations by Ghana’s Mission in Washington, D.C. and the country’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York are meant to help purchase equipment and logistics for the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC) located at the Ga East Municipal hospital.

A cheque for the amount was presented to the trustees of the Ghana COVID-19 Private Fund by the Acting Chief Director of the Foreign Ministry, Martha Pobee at the premises of the Ministry in Accra.

The Ghana Missions abroad worked in collaboration with US-based Ghanaian churches and associations and the active participation of the Consul-General of the Ghana Permanent Mission to the UN in New York to raise the funds.

The donations were raised from individuals who were mobilised through the Washington D.C. Mission’s Facebook account, a virtual music concert which attracted 250,000 viewers and contributions from the Ghana Mission’s GoFundMe account.

Madam Martha Pobee thanked the Ghana Missions for facilitating the donation to support initiatives by the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund, which spearheaded the construction of the GIDC, Ghana’s first infectious disease centre within 100 days in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I would like to thank the Ghana Missions in Washington D.C. and other Missions for the relentless support they have lent to the fight by the government against the Covid-19 disease in the country.”

She also thanked the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund for its national efforts to help in the fight against the disease.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund for its effort in the provision of interventions to support Ghanaians who have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund, Dr. Justice Yankson, expressed gratitude to the Ghanaian Missions for facilitating the donation to aid in the continuing fight against COVID-19 in the country.

“The Fund is extremely grateful. We want to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and specifically, the New York Mission and the Washington D.C. Mission for ensuring that in spite of all the competition around, the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund was chosen and the funds have been presented to us,” Dr. Yankson said.

“When our drive started, we focused a lot of our expertise and our time in trying to mobilise resources from within. [So], we least expected this,” Dr. Yankson added. “For us we were going in to deliver something for Mother Ghana. We were not really looking at what others would say but it turned out that our efforts were seen by people, it was recognised and it has made a positive impact.”

Dr. Justice Yankson assured that the donations will be put to good use and properly accounted for as the COVID-19 Private Sector Fund values transparency and accountability and is audited by renowned firms.