The Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) has received quantities of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) from the Ministry of Health for distribution to the Caterers and Cooks under the feeding programme.
The items included; 100,000 nose masks, 3,605 sanitizers (small size), 3,600 face towels, 280 disinfectant, 280 sanitizers (gallons), 150 gallons of liquid soaps, 38 chlorine, 12 veronica buckets, 12 dustbins and 12 stands.
The PPEs were presented on behalf of the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu to the National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Mr. Gertrude Quashigah, by the Chairman of the Health Commodity Unit (COVID-19) at the Health Ministry, Dr. Matthew Kyeremeh.
Dr. Kyeremeh said that the supply of PPEs to school feeding caterers was highly necessary since they are at the front of the feeding programme and get in contact with over 3 million pupils in Ghana on each school going day.
As one of the collaborative Ministries of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, the Ministry of Health, according to him would leave no stone unturned in ensuring the safety and care of both Caterers and pupils amid COVID-19 pandemic.
He urged the Caterers and all Ghanaians to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 precautionary measures at all times in order to prevent a possible third wave of the pandemic in Ghana.
Meanwhile, Ghana has tested over 1,058, 679 persons and out of the total COVID-19 tests conducted, over 91,981 are positive, 89,787 people who were tested positive have recovered representing 97.6% recoveries, death rate around over 771 persons and active cases stands at over 1,417.
Receiving the PPEs however, the National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Mrs. Gertrude Quashigah commended the Government and the Ministry of Health for the timely support to the Caterers and cooks.
She applauded the strong collaboration between the Ministry and the Ghana School Feeding Programme over the years and therefore encouraged the Ministry to come out with more innovations to address the health needs of the beneficiaries of the school feeding programme.
Mrs. Quashigah acknowledged how the Government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo through the Ministry of Health had prioritized the safety of school children with the provision of free nose masks, hand sanitizers, veronica buckets, liquid soaps and tissue papers to their schools to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
On the other hand, she disclosed that the Government had commenced the payment of arrears owed the Caterers and appealed to those who are yet to receive their payment to exercise a bit of restraint.
The National Coordinator of GSFP also appealed to the Caterers to maintain the cooking standards and also ensure the patronage of more locally produced foodstuffs to help boost the economy at the local level.
The PPEs, according to Mrs. Paulina Koranteng, Deputy Director - Liaison for Development Partners at the Ghana School Feeding Programme, would be distributed immediately to all the Caterers and Cooks across the 16 regions of Ghana.
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