The CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Dr Kofi Koduah Sarpong, has commended the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund for spearheading the construction of Ghana’s first infectious diseases isolation and treatment facility.

Dr. Sarpong is especially impressed the facility, which is nearing completion, has been built within a period of just 10 weeks – one of the fastest construction projects ever undertaken in Ghana’s history.

“Even though it’s not fully done, you can see that the quality is very high standard and we’re all looking forward to when it will be fully completed,” Dr. Sarpong said after touring the site of the project at the Ga East Hospital to assess the progress of work.

GNPC is a major donor and supporter of the project. The corporation donated one million US dollars towards the construction of the facility and Dr. Sarpong is very delighted at how the money has been put to such good use.

“I think it’s a good piece of work,” he said.

“I will once again congratulate people who are behind this: the work force, the PR people, the professionals, the architects, the surveyors, engineers and above all Covid-19 Private Sector Fund and particularly Mr. Senyo Hosi, who has been around since it started. I will say ‘congratulations’ to them all for a wonderful piece of work done.”

The Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund was set up shortly after the country confirmed its first few cases of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19). The business executives who established the fund donated 100,000 cedis each in support of its projects, the biggest of which is the infectious disease treatment facility.

Several other corporate organisations and individuals have contributed funds towards the facility, which is likely to be completed and commissioned for use within the next few weeks. It will be used to treat seriously ill Covid-19 patients as well as others afflicted by infectious diseases such as cerebrospinal meningitis.

In a final push to raise funds for the project’s completion, the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund launched a campaign last week dubbed the #10GhanaChallenge. It is a crowdfunding drive under which Ghanaians are being urged to donate a minimum of 10 Ghana Cedis towards the completion of the infectious disease treatment facility.

“You can donate by dialing the short code 71825*219# on all networks and even though this is for you to donate just 10 cedis you can feel free to donate as much as you want,” Managing Trustee of the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund Senyo Hosi says. “Then after you’ve made your donation, you can challenge some of your friends on social media to also donate and share in the pride you feel.”