Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, a leading producer of pharmaceutical products in West Africa and a member of the Tobinco Group of Companies has presented 1,000 courses of Hydroxychloroquine worth over GH¢100,000 and 18,000 bottles of Foligrow to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

The donation is aimed at supporting government in the fight against Covid-19 in the country. Hydroxychloroquine has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

The valuable items were received by the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye in Accra, Wednesday, June 17, 2020.

Covid-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are said to recover quickly but the drugs were not available locally on a large scale, aside from the cost of the drug shooting up on the international market.

Receiving the donation, Dr Okoe Boye commended the Tobinco Boss, Samuel Nana Amo Tobbin and the Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre for supporting government with the medicine for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

He noted that for government to succeed in the fight against Covid-19, it will take partnership such as that of Tobinco Group, expressing hope that the partnership will last.

It will be recalled that the Ghana Export and Import Bank (EXIM Bank) entered a partnership with the Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, to produce hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin locally for the management of Covid-19 cases.

The bank is expected to commit a $5 million facility to the company for the production of the drugs locally.

Dr Okoe Boye, therefore,  assured the Tobinco Boss that the Ministry of Health will ensure that the process of securing funding to commence the production of the drugs is expedited.

Mr Kwadwo Asare Twerefour, MD for Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, also thanked the Food and Drugs Authority for ensuring the drugs went through all the needed processes in due time.

He stated that the company identified the need to locally produce hydroxychloroquine and other medicines to support the government in the fight against Covid-19, adding that the company is still researching and will produce the rest of the drugs that are needed to fight the disease.

Mr. Asare Twerefour also expressed hope that the money promised by EXIM Bank will materialise in due time so that the company can produce more of the drugs to supply on the local and international markets.