Bishops in Ghana donate to national Covid-19 fund

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), donated 70,000 cedis (approximately $12, 200) to the nation’s Covid-19 Trust Fund on Friday. 

Archbishop of Cape Coast and Vice President of the GCBC, Archbishop Charles Palmer-Buckle, presented the cheque on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference. He was supported by the Secretary-General of the GCBC, Fr. Lazarus Anondee.

Mr. Jude Kofi Bucknor, a member of the Board of Trustees of Ghana’s Covid-19 Fund received the donation in the presence of Dr. Collins Asare, the Fund’s Administrator.

Church initiative

Speaking on the occasion, Archbishop Palmer-Buckle noted that the donation was the Church’s widow’s mite to support the government’s efforts in the fight against coronavirus. 

He also said that the GCBC’s nine-month national response plan for Covid-19 aims to provide Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) for all Catholic frontline health workers. It will also provide relief items to the vulnerable and the elderly. 

“In the Catholic Church, we have about 111 hospitals all over the country, including clinics and health centers and they have all got a certain preparedness for this Covid-19 and they are doing what they can…We are following the footsteps of Pope Francis who himself instituted a Covid support fund and donated $750,000 into it,” he said.

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle concluded by expressing his gratitude to all, especially the frontline workers for their sacrifices, and called for God’s protection and intervention in this difficult situation.

As of Monday morning, the West African country has recorded 2,169 confirmed cases, 18 deaths and 229 recovered patients.