United Parcel Service (UPS), a multi-national shipping, receiving and supply chain management company has donated 16 ultra-negative cold chain fridges to the Ministry of Health (MoH) to store coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines. This was at a brief ceremony in Accra.
The 16 regions across the country will each receive the said fridges to enable health authorities in their respective hospitals store the vaccines under the appropriate temperature for the treatment of victims infected with the virus.
Donating the equipment, the Special Project Manager of UPS said the COVID-19 pandemic has compelled the company to give back to society as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to support institutions particularly in the health sector.
He said it is through such gesture that the citizenry will be well protected and given the needed health support as well as enhancing the health care delivery of the various hospitals in the country.
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According to him, production is key to the economic growth of every country hence the peoples’ health must be well catered for, thus the donation will help keep Ghanaians safe in the wake of the pandemic since it has negatively affected the production line of many companies and countries across the world.
Receiving the items, the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu said the donation was timely since the country will soon take delivery of vaccines in the coming days, adding that the 16 regions would each receive the fridge to preserve the vaccines at the right temperature.
He said government is putting in fervent preparations to bring in more fridges for the vaccines to be kept under the right temperature to sustain the country’s immunization programme, saying the inadequate facility to store vaccines at the appropriate temperature have led to challenges in relations to storage.
He said the government took delivery of Astra Zaneca vaccines from India and pointed out that currently there is no supply from the said country as government is exploring other avenues for the vaccines as well as ultralow vaccines like Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson which have not satisfied the country’s demand.
The Minister commended UPS for their kind support. He however urged other corporate bodies to emulate their shining example and assured that the fridges will be put to good use.
He therefore called on the public to continue to observe the COVID-19 protocols by washing hands under running water, wear nose masks, sanitize hands and be part of the advocacy in spreading the education about the virus.
By Ben LARYEA