According to experts, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is expected to have a significant adverse impact on the global economy. Governments around the world are therefore implementing various fiscal measures to mitigate the adverse effect and provide relief for businesses and households.

The Association of Ghanaian Advanced Practice Nurses Abroad (AGAPNA), located in the United States of America on Friday, June 12, 2020, donated medical equipment and devices to the Mankoadze Community Health Programme and Services (CHPS) compound in the Central region.

The items which included bottles of hand sanitizers, boxes of KN 95 and N95 masks, surgical and examination gloves, infrared thermometers, disposable gowns, test kits, and test strips were presented to the management at the premises of the health facility.

Commenting on the motive for selecting the health facility, Mrs. Mercedes Ankomah – Vabi, the Founder and President of AGAPNA, said “we as essential workers and frontline providers realize the need to combat this pandemic. We know the challenges we face on a daily basis in our various specialties such as lack of PPEs, lack of solid evidenced-based research on the virus, to mention a few. We are committed to helping with the fight on COVID 19 with everyone that has humanity at heart”.

Mrs. Mercedes Ankomah – Vabi further stated that the donation to the health facility formed part of a series of interventions to be executed during these unusual times.

“We are all aware of the difficult times we find ourselves in at the moment and we have come to the aid of this medical facility with these items to contribute our quota to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Not long ago, we also made a donation to the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC as part of the Ghanaians4Ghana Covid drive, she added.

Speaking on behalf of the District Director, the Midwifery Officer of the Mankoadze CHPS compound, Ms. Mary Otopah, expressed their appreciation to AGAPNA for the donation and assured that the items would be put to good use.

Ms. Otopah said “our main challenges have been our building which is very weak and the lack of access to potable water for the facility. I humbly call on other organizations and corporate Ghana to come to our aid to renovate our building, get water connected to the facility and help get a quarter for nurses to stay next to the facility”.

The Assemblyman for the Mankoadze electoral area, Hon. Jude Forson and members of the Area Committee Management were present at the presentation. Hon. Forson expressed his appreciation to the AGAPNA for the donation highlighting the needs of the community and medical facility.

“We are unfortunately in a deprived community and need the support of organizations for the hospital as well as members of the community to enable us to survive this pandemic”, Hon. Forson added.

AGAPNA was formed in February 2019 with only nurse practitioners of different specialties; Family Nurse Practitioners, Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioners, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. The membership was later expanded to include nurse anesthesiologists and the association has a total of ninety-four (94) members. The vision of AGAPNA is to improve the health and knowledge of Ghanaian communities abroad and in Ghana through volunteerism and education.

AGAPNA is a registered non-profit organization and has partnered with three (3) Ghanaian associations to execute some major activities in Ghana; Smiles Project (Cerebral Palsy) in July 2019, the Ghanaian surgeons and physician association fair in September 2019 and NAGNF in October 2019.