The Ministry of Finance and the European Union (EU) Delegation to Ghana have presented personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Ministry of Education and some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for distribution to selected schools and vulnerable people in society to help fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

The items include 200 Veronica buckets, 35 community handwashing stations, 300 4.5-litre gallons of liquid soap, 20 megaphones and 2,500 reusable nose masks.

The donation was aimed at supporting the schools to effectively roll out the government’s measures aimed at enabling final-year students of junior high schools (JHSs) and senior high schools (SHSs) to safely complete their final examinations, as well as continuing students to eventually return to school.

The selected NGOs include GreenWay International, Plastic Punch, Ink ghana and Act4Change.

Partnership

Speaking at a brief handover ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Director of the Resource Mobilisation and Economic Relations Division of the Ministry of Finance, Ms. Yvonne Quansah, said the National Authorisation Office of the ministry was collaborating with the EU Delegation to enhance the practice of safety protocols to curtail the spread of the disease.

She commended the EU for its continuous support to the government over the years, particularly in the fight against COVID-19.
She also reiterated the advice to the public to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols and do their utmost best to stay at home.

Adhere to safety protocols

The Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Ghana, Mr. Peter Smidt Van Gelder, speaking on behalf of the EU Ambassador, Ms. Diana Acconcia, said the gesture was part of several measures by the EU to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

He said the EU would remain committed to supporting the government, local organisations and the public to fight COVID-19.

He also reiterated the importance of adhering to the safety protocols, such as observing social distancing and proper handwashing.

Appreciation

The Coordinator of the Greater Accra Regional School Health Education Programme of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Rev. Patrick Banafo, thanked the EU Delegation and the Ministry of Finance for the presentation and promised that the items would be put to good use.

He said 15 SHSs and 20 JHSs would benefit from the donation and pledged that the Greater Accra Regional Directorate of Education would monitor its use and proper care, so that the facilities would last long.

The intervention was timely, he said, and urged the beneficiary schools to take good care of the items, ensure that they were properly maintained and put to good use.