The Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) has donated an amount of GH¢100,000 to the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR) in its fight against the new coronavirus.

CBOD Chairman and CEO of Cirrus Oil Services Ltd, Ivy Apea Owusu, made the donation on Wednesday, April 1, 2020, via video conferencing- in line with the government’s social distancing directive- on behalf of the Board and Management of CBOD.

“The Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR) has indeed been at the forefront of this fight since the first few Covid-19 cases broke out in Ghana. As the Health minister mentioned in the press briefing this morning, KCCR has already conducted approximately 335 tests covering the middle and northern parts of the country and that means there is a lot of pressure on the center’s resources.”

“We are therefore pleased to donate one hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GHS100,000) to KCCR towards the acquisition of sampling and testing items which we understand are of pressing need to the center at the moment.”

Director of KCCR Prof. Richard Phillips expressed gratitude to the CBOD on behalf of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the KCCR. He said that more resources are needed with the rising number of Covid-19 cases.

“On behalf of the KCCR board Chairman Prof. J.S.K Ayim and the Vice Chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso and the KCCR family, I wish to express my profound gratitude for this generous gift of GH¢100,000 from the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors. This support will help KCCR improve and upscale testing of Covid-19 in Ghana. And as you know laboratory confirmation is key in the control strategy for Covid-19,” he said.

Prof. Phillips said the donation would make it possible for centre to process 300 patients’ samples in 24 hours.

He added, he was excited the donation was done over the internet. Mrs. Apea Owusu shared similar sentiments, saying the virtual donation ensured strict observance of social distancing.

“At least one thing about the current crisis is that it has pushed us to innovate and here we are doing this donation virtually; the very first digital donation that I personally have ever witnessed or been part of. I believe it is also a prudent and creative way of maintaining social distancing protocols.”

Madam Apea Owusu thanked the KNUST, the KCCR and all the medical practitioners, health officials and frontline staff in the fight against Covid19.

CBOD’s Head of Finance and Industry Operations, Richard Kissi, assured that the donated amount would be immediately paid into the designated KCCR account.