The Chief of Defense Staff Lieutenant General Obed Boamah Akwa has commended the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund for exemplifying civilian-military co-operation by working so closely with engineers, architects and other built environment professionals from the Ghana Armed Forces to build the country’s first infectious disease isolation and treatment centre.

Lieutenant General Akwa was speaking after touring the facility which has been completed just three months after ground was broken for the project to start.

“This is a great example of what collaboration and partnership can achieve in a short period of time,” General Akwa said. “From the time that we were here a couple of weeks ago until now the transformation that has taken place speaks to the quality of partnership, leadership, resilience and the fortitude to begin a project and end it.”

General Akwa added: “One of the sayings in the military is that when we select an aim or an objective we see it to the end. So the selection and the maintenance of an aim is the key principle for all military operations and you have demonstrated it here very clearly. I will like to thank these young and unassuming professionals for this great initiative and I am proud the Ghana Armed Forces collaborated with [the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund] and have also worked hard to prove the quality of manpower we have”.

General Akwa expressed the hope that there will be more opportunities in the future for the military and the civilian population to work hand-in-hand on bigger projects.

The CDS was accompanied on his inspection tour by the Director of Engineering Services at the Ghana Armed Forces, Colonel E. A. Shooter. They were taken round the facility by a some of the trustees of the Ghana Covid-19 Sector Fund, including Edward Effah, Chairman of Fidelity Bank and Managing Trustee, Senyo Hosi.

On behalf of the Fund, Mr. Hosi expressed gratitude to the Ghana Armed Forces for their assistance and collaboration toward the completion of the facility.

He was also hopeful that the engineers and architects from the Ghana Armed Forces will be available to help with the construction of similar infectious disease centres in Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale.

“We are hoping to raise funds to start the project in Kumasi which will be Ghana’s second infectious disease centre and then maybe continue in Takoradi and Tamale and we are looking forward to continuing this partnership,” Mr. Hosi said.

“It shouldn’t be a competition between the public sector and the private sector. There should be collaboration to deliver good service to the people of Ghana and this is the perfect example of what such collaboration can do.”