Pressure group, OccupyGhana and local company IT Consortium Ltd have teamed up with the Ghana Association of Doctors in Residency (GADOR) to raise funds to acquire Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) to assist doctors and other health professionals across the country in the COVID-19 pandemic fight.

GADOR’s project seeks to assist in the protection of its members and other frontline HCWs by creating an avenue to complement government’s efforts and improve availability and accessibility of PPEs, which are currently in short supply at the facility level but is required in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

At a brief ceremony on Sunday, OccupyGhana presented the sum of ₵20,000 to GADOR as seed fund for the fundraising effort and some boxes of PPE.

CEO of IT Consortium Ltd, Romeo Bugyei, which is providing the electronic platform for cash contributions (through the shortcodes 8872# and 88710#) also donated the sum of ₵10,000 as seed fund on behalf of the company.

At the same ceremony, two other individuals Prof Nana Kofi Quakyi (on behalf of his family, the Milkani family) and Vice President of Imani Ghana, Selorm Branttie also made separate presentations to GADOR.

In all GADOR received ₵30,000, 700 disposable gowns, 85 overalls, and 50 N95 masks.

Receiving the items on behalf of GADOR, Dr Priscilla Kpodoh and Dr Florence Akumiah explained that GADOR is a sub-group of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), and represents doctors in residency training.

They were grateful for the donations, which they said would greatly assist GMA’s efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

Speaking at the presentation, Mr James Addo said that OccupyGhana considers it a civic duty to throw its support behind the fight against COVID-19.

"We are aware of the government’s efforts to fight the pandemic. it is however important that as citizens, we also contribute our bit to the fight. GADOR’s request for our support coincided with our own discussions with IT Consortium Ltd on launching the electronic platform for contributions, and so this was a super opportune time to jump in and give our full support to this global fight," he said.

Mr. Addo appealed to Ghanaians to help combat the disease.

"We are in this together. In addition to complying with all the rules on social distancing and self-quarantine, our donations to and support for our heroic doctors and other medical professionals in the frontline of this fight will go a long way to get our lives back to normalcy, quickly.

"Please call the shortcodes 8872# and 88710#, and make a donation of any amount,” he added.