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Ghana to begin local production of PPEs to support Coronavirus fight

The government of Ghana has announced that it will from next Tuesday, April 7, 2020, begin the local production of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) in the country.

Ghana to begin local production of PPEs to support Coronavirus fight

This, according to the government, is to help intensify measures aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 in Ghana.

President Nana Akufo-Addo said this when he spoke to the nation on Sunday evening [April 6, 2020].

He noted that this has become necessary to forestall any shortage in already procured PPEs which are essential in protecting the lives of frontline health workers, who are risking their lives every day to battle the virus.

Adding that the government has placed a high priority on the procurement of PPEs adding that the Ministry of Health was spreading the distribution from the regional health directorates for onward distribution to the district health directorates to enable health workers in all the districts across the country use them.

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“This, notwithstanding, Government is aware that more needs to be done, especially in the face of the global shortage of PPEs. It is for this reason that Government is actively engaged with local manufacturing companies to assist them in the domestic production of PPEs, and I am encouraged by the response from the Ghanaian private sector. Domestic production of face masks, head covers, surgical scrubs and gowns will commence from Tuesday. For example, three million, six hundred thousand face masks will be produced domestically, with an output of one hundred and fifty thousand (150,000) per day. I am equally impressed with the invention of a solar-powered handwashing sink by Jude Osei from Kumasi, and the ‘COVID-19 prevention electronic bucket’ made by Kelvin Owusu Dapaah and Richard Boateng, both students of Obuasi Senior High and Technical School. Necessity, indeed, is the mother of invention, as the Ghanaian sense of enterprise and innovation is beginning to be felt,” he said.

Nana Addo announced that thus far, 350,000 masks, 558,650 examination gloves, 1,000 reusable goggles, 20,000 cover-alls, 7,000 N-95 respirators, 500 waterproof gumboots, 2,000 reusable face shields, 2,000 gallons of hand sanitizers, 10,000 100ml pieces of hand sanitizers, and five 500 shoe covers will soon be dispatched to the various health facilities.

President Akufo-Addo has in the past expressed hope that Ghana will take advantage of the pandemic to position itself as a self-reliant country and bring to an end the assistance it receives from other foreign countries.

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