UNHCR donates PPEs and hygiene products to health facilities in support of national Covid-19 response efforts

Items worth $320,000 dollars have so far been donated in five regions in support of the Government of Ghana COVID-19 response efforts as part of the UN Country Team Response in Ghana.

Recently, UNHCR donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and hygiene products to six health facilities and 2 District Health Directorates in the Volta Region. The Volta Region is host to most Togolese refugees and asylum seekers in Ghana.

Items donated included hand sanitizers, automatic dispensers, surgical masks, gloves, infrared thermometers, disinfectants, disposable hand towels, veronica buckets amongst others. The Ho Teaching Hospital, Hohoe Municipal Hospital, Ketu South Municipal Hospital, Ketu South Municipal Health Directorate, St. Anthony’s Hospital, Ho Health Directorate, Kadjebi District Health Center, Mary Theresa Hospital in Papase were beneficiary institutions in the Volta Region.

Ms. Juliana Owusu, UNHCR Public Health Officer, presented the items.  She said the donation is to supplement national efforts in the prevention and response to COVID-19 and also in appreciation of the inclusion of refugees in in national systems including those particular health facilities that were supported.

“Hospitals and health centers are struggling to cope with the sharply increasing number of individuals needing urgent help and we cannot stand aloof at this crucial time” Ms Juliana Owusu

Receiving the items at the St Mary Theresa Hospital, Dr. Ametepe Kwabena indicated the donation was timely since according to him the hospital “had challenges purchasing PPEs and Hygiene products due to financial constraints”. He added that the items will go a long way to improve services in the hospital.

For the Ho Teaching Hospital, this donation was the largest received from a single organization since the beginning of the crisis, according to Elorm Dzobioku, the Nurse-in-charge at the COVID-19 isolation and management in the hospital.

The Ketu South Municipal Hospital is located very close to the Ghana Togo border.  The Head of Administration, Alex Hlotsu, expressed appreciation for the timely donation by UNHCR and said the items will be used to provide quality service to all, including asylum seekers.

Previous beneficiaries of the UNHCR donations included selected health facilities in Accra as well as those in communities hosting refugee camps in Ghana in the Western, Central and Bono Regions, including health facilities located in all four refugee camps.