Stanbic Bank Ghana has donated 5,568 units of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test kit, 5,504 units of Nucleic acid (RNA) extraction kit, and an Autopure 32A-Nucleic Acid Purification System to the National Public Health Reference Laboratory; and 200 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) each to the Cardio-Thoracic Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital respectively.

The test kits valued upwards of US$100,000 are to be used in testing for the presence of COVID-19 and support the efforts aimed at treating and combating the spread of COVID-19 cases in-country. The PPE would help ensure that frontline personnel in the two institutions are well protected in the discharge of their duty.

Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank, Alhassan Andani says the pandemic has taught humanity the importance of oneness especially in times of distress.

“This is the time for us to demonstrate our unity in achieving the common goal of combatting the spread of the virus. We must do this without losing sight of our collective responsibility in contributing in various ways to stop the spread. For us at Stanbic Bank, we believe Ghana is our home and our commitment to drive its growth will continue to find expression in the things that we do to support the fight against this pandemic. As we tackle the challenge of supplies, the collective task is for each of us to be personally responsible for our health and that of the community,” Mr. Andani said.

Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, Director of Ghana Health Services thanked Stanbic Bank on behalf of GHS and Ministry of Health.

“We say thank you for these test kits and critical gear. We will ensure that these are put to good use in such a critical fight. I daresay that when the battle with COVID 19 is over the name of Stanbic will be among those that will be mentioned for the role you have played in the push back against the disease. We appreciate this support and we are very grateful for this donation."

The intervention is the second leg in a series of supporting activities that the bank is extending to the fight against the pandemic. Frontline medical staff at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and some district health institutions had earlier been provided with 500 PPEs following an appeal to the bank.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of Stanbic with this donation. Unfortunately, in the midst of the crisis, prices of such critical items have shot up astronomically, so your donation is indeed timely, and we are grateful. It will go a long way to give personnel confidence to interact with patients.

"From the look of things, COVID-19 has come to stay, so let us all continue to observe the health protocols to protect ourselves and the larger society. As we go out into public spaces let us wear our face masks and don’t forget to thoroughly wash your hands with soap under running water. This disease should not be taken for granted”, said Dr. Lawrence Serebuor, Director of the National Cardiothoracic Center.

In the third leg of the support by Stanbic, the staff of the bank has also launched an internal drive to raise funds for the purchase of more test kits for the GHS.

Called the All for One, One for All campaign, the three-month drive has seen staff contribute up to 30 percent of their individual salaries towards the purchase of critical equipment for the Ghana Health Service.

They were motivated to join the battle and support frontline workers as the number of COVID-19 cases continued to rise after the first case was reported in March.

Additionally, the bank has donated GHS 400,000 to the Covid-19 Support Fund to aid in the fight against COVID 19. These actions were initiated after the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Health and the GHS, requested support from the corporate sector and development partners of the country.

To ensure that the highest quality standards are met, the items were purchased through the UNOPS office in Ghana. It is a collaboration that has delivered the best in-kind equipment and kits.