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Government receives 20,000 test kits in support of COVID-19 fight

The government has received a consignment of 20,000 test units from two organisations to support the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Olam International, a global agribusiness and supply chain management firm and the Singapore-based Temasek Foundation donated the kits.

The test units comprised Fortune Kit 2.0 testing kits and the MGIEasy Magnetic Beads Virus DNA/RNA Extraction Kit, each of which contains sufficient reagents for 200 tests.

The Fortitude Kit 2.0 is used to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus and is an ‘All-in-One’ kit for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 Ribonucleic Acid (RNA), a molecule in the body cells.

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The MGIEasy Magnetic Beads Virus Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)/RNA Extraction Kit on the other hand, purifies the viral DNA and RNA from throat swabs, saliva, serum, plasma, BALF (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) and virus culture medium.

Mr Kenneth Antwi, National Head of HR at Olam Ghana presented the items on behalf of the donors to the government through the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Accra.

“We have previously focused our efforts on helping to improve the safety and welfare of frontline health workers, but with this consignment of testing kits, equivalent to 20,000 test units, it is our fervent hope that the capacity of the laboratories in the area of testing will be greatly strengthed and help the country win the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic,” he said.

Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, Presidential Advisor on Health, commended Olam and their partners for the donation and urged other organisations in the corporate community to emulate the example.

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He said the Noguchi, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) and a number of laboratories in the country have played a major role in the fight against COVID 19 and it was a relief to realise that some corporate institutions like Olam have recognised their efforts and are motivated to lend support.

“The work of the laboratories is very important, especially in the light of the fact that the dynamics of the strain of the virus are different from what we see in some European countries. We require more kits for increased testing, which is why we are grateful for Olam’s gesture today,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu said the Noguchi research facility was a centre of excellence, manned by a team which was very determined to prove that given the necessary inputs and support, it could perform beyond the country’s expectation.

“What Olam has done is proof that there is a segment of our society which appreciates what we do here and are willing to help,” he said.

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 Intake of ‘Gobe’ can prevent heart diseases —Nutritionists

Gari and beans is good for the heart
Gari and beans is good for the heart

Nutritionists have advised Ghanaians to eat more beans-based meals, including the popular local dish, gari and beans, also known as ‘Gobe’ to prevent heart diseases. They said incidenc­es of obesity and cancer could be minimised with the regular intake of beans meals.

At a programme in Accra to mark the World Pulses ( Beans) Day on Monday, Mr Wise Chukudi Letsa, Nu­tritionist and Dietician, who spoke on the topic: ‘Beans: The Super Food for Healthy Living and Healthy Farmlands,’ admonished Ghanaians to include beans in their diets.

Mr Letsa said beans was rich in protein, fibre, vitamins, miner­als, irons and other nutrients and contained just a little fat. Mr Letsa, a Nutritionist with Lets Consult, stated that the presence of those nutrients in beans explained why its intake could prevent heart diseases and other ailments, hence the need to consume it regularly.

The event, dubbed: ‘Meatless Monday’ was organised by the Com­munications Initiative for Change (CIC), a Ghanaian non-profit organ­isation.

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The ‘Meatless Monday’ is an initiative aimed at encouraging Ghanaians to reduce their intake of meat by taking in more beans-based meals on every Monday of a week.

It was launched after the United Nations in 2019, set aside Febru­ary 10 to celebrate and encourage the consumption of pulses (beans) worldwide. This year’s celebration was hinged on the theme: ‘Bringing Diversity to Agrifood Systems.’

Mr Peter Agbovi, National Secre­tary, Chefs Association of Ghana, said a variety of meals could be prepared with beans, which include Waakye (rice and beans), Kose (beans paste made into cakes), Ayikple, Aboboi, Tuo Zaafi, Akyeke, and kakro.

He encouraged Ghanaians to con­sume more of those foods to stay healthy.

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Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, the Ex­ecutive Director, CIC, indicated that even if people could not eat beans-based meals regularly, efforts should be made to consume them every Monday.

He said that was the essence of the introduction of the ‘Meatless Monday’ initiative. -GNA

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 Restore beauty of Kwame Nkrumah Circle area / State of Kwame Nkrumah Circle an eyesore!

A homeless man sleeping in the sand close to the removed blocks
A homeless man sleeping in the sand close to the removed blocks

Small size quarry stones fixed at open spac­es under the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange was to leave the place open and free from activities of beggars and other activities of the homeless.

By the way the stones were fixed, it makes the area, particularly the VIP and Neoplan Station stretch of the Interchange, inhabit­able by the destitute.

But a walk through the area currently suggest the opposite.

At the median where pavement blocks have been taken over by these home­less and destitute, the area has been turned into a hotel where a number of these unfortunate ones have com­fortably laid their mattress­es and other stuff to rest from the day’s activities.

They have crossed over to the SSNIT and Kaneshie Station area with their activ­ities and have removed the quarry stones which were to ward them off the place to enable them find spaces to sleep comfortably.

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The pavement blocks re­moved from different loca­tions under the interchange now serves as foundations on which beds were laid and in some cases, mosquito nets erected.

Their continued pres­ence is not only creating a nuisance for commuters but marring the beauty and serenity of the place.

Sadly, the activities of these deprived fellows have been ignored while the numbers keep increasing day by day.

The Spectator finds the development very worrying and calls on the responsible authorities to clear the area to restore the beauty and serenity of the area.

 By Victor A. Buxton

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