The Manya Krobo Traditional Council led by the Paramount Chief for the Manya Krobo Traditional Area, Nene Sakite II on Monday, 20th April, 2020 launched a Covid-19 Emergency Fund as part of efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak in the traditional area.

The fund, launched with a cheque for Ghc 22,000 donated by the Manya Krobo Traditional Council as part of its commitment of Ghc 50,000 seed capital, is designed to meet the immediate needs of the communities in the area in addition to ongoing efforts from various individuals and stakeholders that provide support to various groups to assist them in their efforts.

The emergency fund is also expected to work in close collaboration with various stakeholders to identify the needs of the communities and assess where funds could be used to fill an immediate gap.

A 12-member diverse fund management committee to be Co-Chaired by Nene Kwesi Detse I and Manye Angmorkuor Yoko I, was commissioned on the day.

Other members of the committee include: Godfred Caesar, Manye Narkie Gomeh, Nene Asada Ahor, Michael Kwame, Salasi Etsra, Rose Lawer, Ebenezer Kwesi, Naomi Hagan, Felix Odjao Nartey and Emmanuel Kwesi Tetteh.

The committee among other responsibilities, is expected to focus on 3 core areas. These include: support the overall response, management and coordination of efforts to address the pandemic; identify and appropriately respond to related resource needs by generating, acquiring and coordinating the management and distribution of funds and where appropriate, support other similar resource development efforts in and across Manya Krobo.

The committee made up of representatives of the Manya Krobo Traditional Council, Assemblies, Health Directorates of Upper and Lower Manya Krobo and the Covid 10 Coordinators will through the fund support efforts to address medical needs including the provision of PPE to the four hospitals in the two districts.

Nene Sakite is meanwhile calling on all Krobo indigenes in various parts of the country and the world to donate into the account through the Manya Krobo Rural Bank account number: 2661120006157891.

The fund will also identify core needs of the elderly, sick, disabled and vulnerable, provide Covid-19 relief items as well as support the security services.

Describing the pandemic as the most significant and urgent health crisis mankind has faced since the 1918 flu pandemic, the chief entreated Krobos not to relax its vigilance due to the lifting of the lockdown on Accra and Kumasi, adding that the country must eschew complacency if the battle must be won.

Nene Konor said: “We have a responsibility to be as vigilant as possible, to be as smart and strategic and determined as possible, and to be significantly organized,” said the Overlord of the Manya Krobo.

“We must be prepared. It is better for us to be over-prepared than to be caught short-handed or unprepared in dealing with this crisis.”

He added: “We cannot be complacent. We cannot relax our efforts. We cannot be overconfident.”

He meanwhile, expressed satisfaction at the level of compliance with the directives of national government and the leadership and discipline shown by Krobos.

Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Samuel Nuertey Ayertey praised the contributions of the Paramount Chief on his sign of leadership shown in supporting the traditional area in these hard times and towards curbing the disease.

As part of efforts to address the pandemic, Mr. Ayertey said the Eastern Regional Minister and the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council had set up an emergency health committee to supervise the combat of Covid-19, adding that government was putting in more efforts to provide more PPE for frontline health workers.

He said contact tracing in areas with confirmed cases was ongoing to rid the communities of any possible infection.

Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) For Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Kweku Tetteh and District Chief Executive for Upper Manya Krobo, Felix Nartey Odjao took turns to commend the paramount chief on this feat named as one of his several interventions in the fight against Covid-19.

The two who expressed hope in the development of the fund pledged to support the chief in this venture.

Mr. Simon Tetteh who said routine surveillance by the Municipal Health Directorate was preventing community spread said there was the need to support the fund and collaborate to fight the pandemic.

On their part, Municipal Health Director for Lower Manya Krobo, Mr. Bismark Sarkodie and Municipal Health Director for Upper Manya Krobo, Mrs. Esther Dua Oyinka commended Nene Sakite on the steps he was taking to avert the pandemic.

Mrs. Esther Dua Oyinka condemned the rationale behind stigmatizing patients or suspected infected persons of the coronavirus and called on the general public to avoid the practice as stigmatizing such persons could prevent them from seeking medical attention.

She called on all to eat well to boost their immune system to enable them fight off diseases including Covid-19 and called for more education on the Covid-19 to empower the general public.

Municipal Health Director for Lower Manya Krobo also disclosed that samples of 275 contacts of infected persons taken for testing in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal had all tested negative at the Noguchi Medical Research Institute, describing the development as welcome news to the directorate’s efforts to avert a community spread in the area.

The director who was content with the rate of proactivity of the health directorate said the team swiftly moved to assess and followed up on any information relating to the disease brought to its attention.

According to him, a number of isolation centers were ready in the municipality to accommodate suspected cases of the virus.

He commended the health personnel for their resilience, dedication and commitment to the fight as well as educating residents on the Covid-19 and said the team was combat ready to tackle the disease.

The two health directors meanwhile appealed for more logistics to aid frontline health workers in their work.

Railways and Development Minister, Joe Ghartey, through the Deputy Eastern Region Minister, donated Ghc 5,000 as his contribution to the fund.