COVID-19 Trust Fund empty – Justice Sophia Akuffo

The COVID-19 National Trust Fund is in dire need of funds to enable it discharge its mandate, which is to complement government efforts at fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Chairperson of the Trust Fund, Justice Sophia Akuffo, the fund could collapse soon if it does not receive any contribution by close of April this year.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the installation of the Digital Laboratory Information System (LIS) at the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research (NMIMR) in Accra last Monday, the former Chief Justice said the high public apathy that characterized the COVID-19 fight in recent times had led to dwindled financial resources to the Fund, making it difficult for projects to be executed.

“Now we have empty warehouse as a result and we have handed it over to the army whose property it was and we don’t even have items anymore. No PPEs, no sanitizers, nothing and then in terms of funds, we have just run about six million cedis left which runs to nothing with the sort of request we’ve been receiving each day. The further that amount can take us is just April” she said.

She however denied claims that, the funds cannot be accounted for.

She added, “If you go on our website, you’ll see the name of everybody who has donated. How much they have donated and so on. You’ll also see who has received what from us. The most difficult to account for to the last penny might be the material thing – food items among others. With that, we even have homes and various institutions we donated to.

“Last week, someone whose father was diagnosed to have COVID phoned me that, where can he send his dad, everywhere is actually full so couldn’t suggest anywhere. In emergency rooms, they’re threating COVID which supposed not to be so. Please let the funds flow in, we’ll use some of it to support research, and all kinds of medical reforms among others.”

The COVID-19 National Trust Fund, was established by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2020 to receive contributions and donations from the public to assist in the welfare of the needy and the vulnerable during the COVID-19 period.

The President donated his April, May, and June salaries as seed money for the Fund.

Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia also donated his three months’ salary to the Trust Fund.

All Ministers of State and other top appointees at the presidency voluntarily decided to donate 50 percent of their salary as well.

Parliament also contributed GH¢200,000 with the then Speaker of the House, Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye donating half of his three months’ salary to the Fund.

Meanwhile the country is currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases with more hospitalizations.

Health workers from time to time have been complaining about inadequate PPE.

At the latest count, Ghana has recorded 718 new cases raising the country’s active case count to 8,216.

The death toll has also increased to 533.

Health Minister-designate Kwaku Agyeman-Manu had also told the Appointment’s Committee of Parliament that an amount of USD100 million allocated to the ministry to fight the deadly COVID-19 has been exhausted.

The Dormaa Central MP disclosed this when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Wednesday, 10 February 2021.

According to Mr Agyeman-Manu, however, a World Bank loan facility of USD120 million secured to fight the virus is almost maturing.

He said: “The Ministry of Health initially got USD100 million allocation to spend on COVID-19″.

“That amount has been exhausted, and we have got another money that is just about to mature for the Ministry to utilise which is about USD120 million from the World Bank, and it is a loan.”