The Diamond Cement Group has donated 250 tonnes of cement towards the construction of the 100-bed infectious disease isolation and treatment facility at the Ga East Hospital in Accra.

Making the donation at the project site, Mukesh Kumar Manubhai Patel, Chairman of Diamond Cement Group said the gesture was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. He was hopeful it will go a long way in building up Ghana’s defences against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“On behalf of the Group and as part of our CSR, we are very pleased to donate 250 tonnes of cement for this COVID-19 project and I’m sure it will help the Ghanaian people,” Mr. Patel said. “We also hope that the project should be completed in due time.”

The $4.5 million projects is set for completion by the end of May, just six weeks after it started. It will go down in history as one of the fastest construction projects of its kind in the country. It was initiated by the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund (GCPS-Fund), which has been raising funding to complete it in good time to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Taking delivery of the donation from the Diamond Cement delegation, General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Justice Yankson, who is a technical adviser to the GCPS-Fund expressed gratitude for the company’s gesture.

Dr. Yankson said: “This gesture is a very huge one. We are grateful for your support. We know your products are of good quality and we are happy you’re here to see what we are also doing. We know we can always count on you.”

Dr George Dawson-Ahmoah, Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers in Ghana lauded the Diamond Cement Group their “bold” contribution towards the project and the nation’s fight back against the novel Coronavirus.

“That is really a laudable and commendable donation that they are making towards this project,” he said. “So on behalf of the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers in Ghana, we want to commend the Diamond Cement Group for this bold initiative, for this bold effort.”

Dr. Amoah urged more organisations and individuals to donate towards the successful and timely completion of the project.

“I am using this channel to appeal to all sectors, to all industries, even individuals to look at the severity, the consequences, the impact of this pandemic and contribute towards its eradication,” he said.

The GCPS-Fund is an initiative by private business executives who set it up with a seed fund of One Million Ghana Cedis. They have also been campaigning to raise at least One Hundred Million Ghana Cedis from local and international sources to aid the Government of Ghana’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.