The launch by Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the US$7.5million Infectious Diseases Centre built by the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund, at the Ga East Municipal Hospital, is something worth celebrating.

Dr. Bawumia noted that the Centre celebrates Ghanaian ingenuity and patriotism, and dedication to humanity. The world-class facility was constructed by a team of 536 men and women working 24 hours a day, who worked tirelessly to build the facility.

Co-Chair, Board of Trustees of the COVID-19 Private Sector Fund and Fidelity Bank’s Chairman, Edward Effah said: “The COVID-19 Private Sector Fund’s mission is to provide a prompt response to the hardship and suffering arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to bring to bear the agility and responsiveness of the private sector to support the government in the fighting spread of the virus”.

He noted that the Facility 100 Project seeks to develop four 100-bed Infectious Disease Centres in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale. Tony Oteng Gyasi, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Fund and Chairman of Tropical Cables and Conductors Limited, advised that the facility should be well-maintained to benefit the nation for many years.

This is crucial because though the private sector initiative is laudable and has to be highly commended for its saving grace, it will amount to little if the proverbial Ghanaian maintenance culture is allowed to continue.

World-class infrastructure facilities exist in the country, but our penchant for not maintaining the same gives them a rather short life-span – and the Accra-Tema Motorway is one typical example. Hence, as Mr. Oteng-Gyasi stated, managers of the facility should ensure it is taken care of so that many more generations can benefit from its purpose.

This combined action by key players in the country’s private sector to construct such a facility in record time as part of measures to contain the spread of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the true philanthropic spirit of the Ghanaian and must be applauded.