Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, the outgoing Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Minister-designate for Health, has made references to writing a book about Ghana’s battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a visit with Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Oppong-Peprah, the recently appointed Chief of Defence Staff, he revealed this.
“As a member of the COVID-19 task force, I remember the key role that was played by the army. In fact, I remember those dark nights when logistics had to be flown to the north. I remember coming to the Air Force base to fly with your men to go and distribute some of the items. They were frontline workers taking the risk and confronting the virus, and because I was part of the whole battle, by the grace of God, I went through some challenging assignments to put together all our experiences as a country during the two to three years that the virus roamed within our borders. Finally, a book is ready.”
He also restated the National Health Insurance Authority’s pledge to assist all medical facilities serving the armed forces.
Lt. Gen. Thomas Oppong-Peprah, Chief of Defence Staff, also conveyed gratitude for the continued cooperation between the NHIA and the armed forces. He emphasized the necessity of creating a biomedical unit and the significance of being ready for pandemics in the future.
“There is a need for us to look at establishing a biomedical unit to immediately respond to such outbreaks so that we are not caught unprepared. This is something that we are gradually developing, so at some point in time, we will be calling on your office for advice and guidance and also for us to have effective collaboration in doing this.
“The Armed Forces are also there for disaster management, and as part of that, there is a need for us to build that capacity. So, this idea of establishing a biomedical unit specifically for the outbreak of pandemics is something that I am going to pursue as Chief of Defence Staff.”
