The Minister of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, has lauded The Church of Pentecost for the timely release of the multi-purpose Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) to the Government of Ghana as an isolation centre to treat COVID-19 patients.
Delivering the 2020 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, 2020, Mr. Ofori-Atta stated: “Mr. Speaker, The Church of Pentecost, as a humanitarian gesture, and in keeping with recent social partnership arrangements, offered the Pentecost Convention Centre at Gomoa Fetteh as an isolation centre for infected persons.”
The Finance Minister also commended other faith-based organisations such as the Catholic Church for releasing their facilities for isolation centres. “Similarly, the Catholic Church released a host of its facilities located across the country to house and treat infected persons,” he said.
He added: “The 140-bed capacity Ghanaman Soccer Centre in Prampram, owned by the Ghana Football Association, also served as an isolation centre.”
According to the Finance Minister, the scale of the pandemic has deepened the strategic partnership between state and non-state actors, especially the private sector, saying, “The work of the traditional churches, Charismatic, Pentecostal Churches and our Islamic leaders continue to uphold our people.”
It will be recalled that the leadership of The Church of Pentecost, led by the Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, in March this year released the PCC to government to help contain the pandemic in Ghana.
Aside this gesture, the Church also contributed in cash and in kind, to health facilities, various government institutions, as well as the needy and vulnerable during and after the lockdown.
Speaking to the media, Apostle Nyamekye assured that the Church will continue to support the government to give the best of care to patients at the centre.
“Pentecost Convention Centre is a holy place and I know the patients will be healed when they are brought there,” he added.