The COVID-19 National Trust Fund has said it received a total contribution of some ¢65,467,911.71 out of which ¢58,020,508.91 was disbursed for major healthcare projects, programmes, activities and interventions over three years.
The mandate of the Trust Fund came to an end on August 31, 2023, following the declaration by President Akufo-Addo in his COVID-19 update number 29 on May 28, 2023, that the pandemic had officially ended.
The seven-member Board of Trustees of the Fund, who were sworn into office and publicly inaugurated by President Akufo-Addo on the 8th of April 2020, was charged with the responsibility to manage the contributions received, both in cash and in-kind to support those who were directly engaged in the combat of the pandemic and those infected with or afflicted by the Coronavirus disease, especially the socially needy and vulnerable.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday to bring its mandate to a close, the Chairperson of the Trust Fund, former Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo disclosed that the remaining balance of ¢7,447,402.80 has been transferred to the consolidated fund.
The event was to brief the media about the work of the Trust Fund from its establishment to this time of closure.
Justice Sophia Akuffo outlined some interventions and how monies were disbursed for major interventions.
On the distribution of PPE, the Trust Fund acquired and distributed PPEs at a total value of GH¢22,113,760.00 to 56 regional, municipal and district hospitals; COVID-19 Care Management Centres, Isolation Centres; 8 Testing Centres and about 226 CHPS compounds across the country.
The Fund, according to the Chairperson, spent an amount of GH¢4,359,854.00 on public education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Fund, she said, also supported the NOGUCHI Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture with an amount of GH¢7,555,082.00.
With the Institute of Statistics Social and Economic Research (ISSER) conducting a national survey on the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on households identified as poor and vulnerable, the Trust gave GH¢500.00 each through the Apex Bank to 7,927 identified poor and vulnerable persons across the country affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which totalled GH3,963,500.00.
Again, an amount of GH¢210,030.00 was used to settle bills relating to the mandatory quarantine in Sunyani of 42 Ghanaian deportees from La Côte d’Ivoire through the Bono Regional Coordinating Council.
The Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), the Centre for Plant Medicine Research, Mampong Akuapem, and the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), were supported with GH¢4,995,375.92 to conduct various research on the pandemic to contribute to knowledge and understanding of the Coronavirus to effectively combat the disease.
Other interventions the Trust Fund engaged in were the donation of 10 Chevrolet Cobalt saloon cars it received to the University of Ghana Medical Centre, LEKMA Hospital, Kumasi South Regional Hospital, Tema General Hospital and COVID-19 Care Management Centre at Korle-Bu.
Others included the Zonal Public Health Laboratory, Sekondi; Pentecost Convention Isolation Centre, Gomoa-Fetteh; Veterinary Division Laboratory, Accra; Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research and the National Public Health & Reference Laboratory, Korle-Bu.