US partners Ghana to fight Covid-19
The U.S ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, has disclosed her country’s readiness to assist Ghana in the fight against coronavirus.
While disclosing this on 15th April 2020, Amb. Sullivan said that US has so far provided technical assistance to hospitals and labs around the world and other forms of aid provided for altruistic reasons.
“If we can help countries contain outbreaks, we’ll save lives abroad and at home in the United States,” she said.
The ambassador specifically hinted on the strong partnership between Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the United States of America which put the two nations at the forefront of combating the Covid-19.
According to Stephanie, as part of Ghana government response to Covid-19, the country has deployed a Level II Field Hospital in Accra Ghana, which he said was one of the two hospitals he handed over to the government of Ghana on 14th February this year on behalf of the United States.
“The GAF has deployed one state-of-the-art Level II Field Hospital in the Greater Accra area as part of the government of Ghana’s COVID-19 response to directly serve those most in need,” Stephanie disclosed.
It was also stated that ever before Ghana recorded its first case of the virus, the United States had made Materials available in Ghana to enable the country carry out several sample tests through the U.S National Institutes for Health in partnership with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.
“Also in early February, even before Ghana had its first known case, the U.S. National Institutes for Health, through its longstanding partnership with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, made available material to enable several hundred samples to be tested,” she added.
Talking about American medical experts and professionals that have been deployed worldwide to help battle the Covid-19, Stephanie said that members from several American health professional like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Naval Medical Research Unit Three (NAMRU-3), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and others are working and hand in hand with the Government of Ghana to contain the pandemic.
Stephanie reaffirmed the U.S commitment to its partnership with Ghana and thanked the Ghana government for its support for the U.S Embassy in Accra that had facilitated repatriation of over 1,400 American citizens who needed to return to America at this very critical time.
“We are also thankful to the government of Ghana for its strong support in helping the U.S. Embassy in Accra repatriate over 1,400 American citizens and permanent residents of the United States who requested assistance to return to the United States at this time,” she said.
Stephanie similarly reiterated the U.S readiness to work with the government and people of Ghana, while using the opportunity to appeal to the people to follow the government directive an stay at home.
“I also echo His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s call for all Ghanaians and residents of Ghana to stay home as much as possible at this time, as one of the most effective ways to combat the pandemic and flatten the curve,” she noted.
Meanwhile, as precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus, the U.S embassy has been closed to the public since March and 25 will remain closed until April 20, according to Stephanie.
Giving the rationale behind the closure, Stephanie said, “We took this step to maximize social distancing and minimize movement to stop the spread of COVID-19. It is also the responsible and right thing to do for each other.”
