Ghanaian Bishops allow government to use Church facilities for Covid-19 treatment

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

Ghanaian Bishops have put thirteen Church-owned buildings at the disposal of the government for transformation into isolation centers for Covid-19 patients in the country.

The Bishops made this announcement recently as part of their contribution to support government efforts to provide treatment for infected people in the coronavirus pandemic, which has over 200,000 confirmed cases in Africa.

According to the West African Bishops’ Conference website, the facilities are located in nine of Ghana's sixteen regions: four in the north, four in the east, and one in the south. 

Efforts against Covid-19

The donation continues the trend of the Church’s involvement in the fight against the Covid-19 coronavirus.

In May, the Bishops of Ghana donated 70,000 cedis (approximately US$ 12,200) to the national Covid-19 trust fund.

The Bishops had also earlier launched a coronavirus response fund to support Catholic health workers, the elderly and vulnerable social groups.

Meanwhile, at the local level, parishes and Catholic charity organizations actively provide support for people affected by the pandemic.

As of Thursday, Ghana reportedly has 10,358 confirmed coronavirus cases, making it the fourth most-affected country in Africa, and the second most-affected in West Africa.