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Chinese Embassy presents medical supplies worth GH₵480,000 to UGMC
The Chinese Embassy in Ghana has presented quantities of medical supplies worth GH¢480, 000 (about 80,000 US dollars), to the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), to support the fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The supplies included 15 ventilators, 20,000 medical masks, 1,600 N95 masks, 120 protective suits, 60 face shields, and 100 medical googles, in addition to some food items comprising milk, cocoa powder, and cereals among others, to cater for the nutritional needs of the patients.
Mr Shi Ting Wang, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, who presented the items to the management of the hospital at a short ceremony in Accra yesterday, said the donation which was made in partnership with the Chinese community in Ghana, formed part of China’s effort in supporting developing countries in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said in addition to the medical supplies sent to over 50 African countries and the African Union, and seven medical expert teams dispatched to the continent, China would do all in its power in the future to give more assistance to Africa.
He said to build consensus on uniting to fight against the pandemic, an extraordinary China-Africa summit on solidarity against COVID-19 was convened on Wednesday via video link and a joint declaration was issued.
In view of this, Mr Wang noted that, China will start ahead of scheduled the construction of the Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters this year.
“China will work with Africa to fully deliver the health care initiative adopted at the Beijng summit of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and speed up the construction of China-Africa friendship hospitals and the cooperation between paired-up Chinese and African hospitals,” he said.
He pledged that once the development of COVID-19 vaccine was completed in China, African countries would be among the first to benefit, and urged African countries to stay committed to enhancing China-Africa cooperation, especially in public health, economic reopening and people’s livelihood.
He revealed that, within the FOCAC, China will cancel the debt of relevant African countries in the form of interest-free government loans that are due to mature by the end of 2020.
“For those African countries that are hardest hit by the COVID-19 and are under heavy financial stress, China will work with the global community to give them greater support by such means as further extending the period of debt suspension,” he added.
He pledged his support to working closely to build a community with a shared future with Ghana to defeat the virus as China-Ghana marks the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations.
Receiving the items, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, the Deputy Minister of Health, thanked the Chinese government and its citizens resident in Ghana for their sustained support in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that government was constantly monitoring the situation and would take measures that would help the country overcome the pandemic.
Present at the ceremony were Dr Darius Osei, Chief Executive Officer of UGMC, Dr Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana (UG) and some leaders of the Chinese Community in Ghana.
Source: Ghanaian Times
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GWL to embark on revenue mobilization in Northern, Savannah Regions from Nov 1 to Dec 31
The management of Ghana Water Limited (GWL) in the Northern and Savannah Regions has announced a revenue mobilization exercise aimed at retrieving outstanding arrears and addressing illegal connections.
The exercise, which will run from November 1 to December 31, 2024, seeks to detect self-reconnections and eliminate the unauthorized use of in-line booster pumps.
“The management of Ghana Water Limited (GWL) Northern/Savannah Regions, wishes to inform the public and its valued customers that it will embark on a revenue mobilization exercise in the Northern and Savannah Regions from 1st November to 31st December 2024.
“This exercise aims to retrieve all outstanding arrears owed by customers, identify and address illegal connections, detect self-reconnections, and eliminate the unauthorized use of in-line booster pumps,” GWL said in a statement.
GWL urged all customers to promptly settle their arrears through its official online channels or at designated pay points across the two regions to avoid service disruptions.
Click here to read the statement by GWL
Read below the statement by GWL
Source: citinewsroom.com
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Election 2024: NMC to launch app to combat misinformation
The National Media Commission (NMC) says it is set to outdoor a media watch app to combat misinformation and disinformation ahead of the general elections.
According to the NMC, the initiative aims to enable journalists and citizens to capture real-time suspicious activities at polling stations for prompt action.
Speaking after a forum organised by the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) on the theme “Moderating the Airwaves for Peaceful and Credible Elections 2024,” Executive Secretary for NMC, George Sarpong believes the initiative will be a crucial tool in promoting peaceful elections and enhancing the safety of journalists.
He explained that the app will be a game-changer that is expected to offer accurate information at various polling stations across Ghana.
“This is going to be a game-changer in the sense that it is going to offer us very accurate information about what is happening around the country about the elections.
“And then in terms of the electoral results, if anybody who is at any polling station at the time we are declaring the results, films and submits this, the system can verify the authenticity of what has been submitted.
“We believe that if there is any dispute regarding any incident, this will offer very efficient evidence for anybody interested in understanding exactly what happened there and to address it.
Source: citinewsroom.com