The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has commended Vodafone Ghana Foundation for its enormous support in the fight against COVID-19.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu praised Vodafone Ghana Foundation when the telco presented 461 cold-chain units to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
The equipment is worth US$1million and include 275 vaccine freezers, 184 ice-lined combination refrigerators and two walk-in cold rooms. The donation is expected to help boost COVID-19 vaccines storage and distribution across the country.
According to him, telecommunication giant Vodafone Ghana has over the years supported Ghana’s government in diverse ways to build a resilient health system.
“We commend Vodafone Ghana for their continued partnership in ensuring the improvement of quality healthcare for Ghanaians through their various health initiatives: including the Healthline TV series and community-based health outreach programme, Healthfest. We therefore look forward to collaborating with Vodafone on more groundbreaking initiatives,” he said.
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, further stated that his outfit will foster a strategic partnership with Vodafone Ghana in the quest to achieve universal health coverage.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, the Vodafone Ghana Foundation has supported and protected frontline health workers fighting the virus. Donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies have been given to hospitals treating COVID-19 patients across the country.
Vodafone Foundation also introduced various revolutionary health initiatives which continue to assist the country in dealing with the pandemic. These initiatives include:
Vodafone Healthline, an initiative that has supported hundreds of patients across the country who were in need of life-transforming surgeries, and has also offered health education to millions of Ghanaians.
Vodafone Healthfest, this platform takes quality healthcare to deprived communities in various regions. With a team of medical professionals, it offers free health screening and medication for specific ailments; registers residents on the NHIS scheme; works with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to extend government’s vaccination efforts to these communities; and has benefitted over 40, 000 people since inception.
Vodafone Homecoming has contributed significantly to decongesting health facilities across the country, as the Foundation pays the medical bills of insolvent patients. Over 2,000 patients across the country have been reunited with their families through this programme.
Vodafone Healthline Medical Call Centre, the medical call-centre, is being run by 50 doctors who continue to educate Ghanaians about COVID-19 in various local and international languages. The service, which is free, can be accessed via mobile phone by dialing 255. The centre has received over 30,000 calls since the pandemic, and has directed hundreds of potential COVID-19 cases to the Rapid Response Team.
