The University of Cape Coast (UCC) Health Service and the Ankaful Maximum Prison have received Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and sanitary items from the Cape Coast Area of The Church of Pentecost at a short ceremony held at the forecourt of the Central Regional Health Directorate on May 13, 2020.
The items, worth GHS 20,000.00, include 20 boxes of sanitizer, 20 boxes of hand gloves, 20 boxes of tissue jumbo, 20 boxes of tissue paper, 20 veronica buckets, 20 gallons of parazone, 20 boxes of liquid soap, 80 face shields, 30 boxes of face masks and 10 wellington boots.
Presenting the items, the Cape Coast Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Samuel Yaw Antwi, noted that the donation was to complement the government’s effort to contain COVID-19. He indicated that the leadership of The Church of Pentecost led by Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has urged the various levels of the church to support health facilities within their communities.
“We have already offered our convention centre to serve as isolation centre, presented Information Vans to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to educate people on the virus and also supported the COVID-19 National Trust Fund with GH¢100,000,” he added.
Apostle Antwi said all these acts of kindness were inspired by what Jesus said in the Bible (Mathew 25:35-36) “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, “I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me”.
The Cape Coast Area Head also bemoaned the disregard for the precautionary protocols by some Ghanaians especially at the marketplace and therefore advised Ghanaians to observe the preventive measures such social distancing, handing washing, use of sanitiser, wearing face mask and to staying at home if possible, so as to avoid the spread of the disease.
“It is in our own interest to wash our hands under running water or use hand sanitizer, observe social distancing, and all the other precautionary measures,” he advised. He also commended medical personnel and other frontline workers for their commitment and sacrifices towards fighting the virus.
Receiving the items on behalf of the recipients, Mr Emmanuel Taadi, Deputy Director for Administration at the Ghana Health service, who represented the Regional Director, thanked the church for the kind gesture and for the releasing the multipurpose Pentecost Convention Centre as an isolation and treatment centre for COVID-19 patients.
The Director of the University Health Services, Dr Evans Ekanem, on his part, expressed appreciation to the Church of Pentecost for demonstrating true love. “You have put smiles on our faces through this donation and we shall put them to good use” he indicated. He called on respondents of Cape Coast and its environs to be concerned about the spread of the virus and help to fight it.
Mr Edward Eshun, the Assistant Director of Prisons, who represented the Regional Commander at the event, was full of praise to the church and indicated that the items will help protect the inmates as we fight against the spread of COVID-19.
Present at the ceremony were some staff of Ghana Health Service, officers of the Ankaful Prisons, nurses from the UCC Health Service, area pastorate, Area Deacon and members of the Area Women’s Ministry Executive Committee.
Report by Overseer Daniel Appiah