Diaspora African Forum and Gradian Health Systems Partner to Support Government of Ghana’s COVID-19 Response
H.E. Ambassador Erieka Bennett, the Head of Mission of the Diaspora African Forum (DAF), and Gradian Health Systems have partnered to support the Government of Ghana’s COVID-19 response efforts to build critical care capacity in the nation’s health system.
The support began with the donation of 300 airway kits to the Ministry of Health so physicians and nurses across the country can help patients receive life-saving breathing and oxygen support during COVID-19, other respiratory illnesses, or critical medical procedures.
Every donated airway kit included more than 20 critical supplies physicians and nurses can use to provide breathing support and oxygen therapy for COVID-19 patients, such as oxygen masks, endotracheal tubes, stethoscopes, and ventilator circuits. Each kit also included a pulse oximeter—a device critical for monitoring the amount of oxygen in a person’s blood and detecting when advanced care is required for COVID-19 patients.
The donation ceremony, which took place on Aug. 20 at the Ministry of Health in Accra, was attended by Deputy Minister for Health Dr. Bernard Oko-Boye, Director of the Diaspora Affairs Akwasi Awua Ababio, DAF Head of Mission Amb. Dr. Erieka Bennett, Chair of United Way Worldwide and DAF Board Member Dr. Juliette Tuakali, and Gradian CEO Lina Sayed.
In addition to supporting health care providers, the donation also shines a light on the role of consumable and accessory items in the full and safe functioning of medical equipment and the delivery of oxygen therapy. Developing strong and sustainable supply chains is critical for avoiding disruptions to patient care.
“We are honored to partner with the Diaspora African Forum and share our experience and resources to help support Ghana’s COVID-19 response,” said Lina Sayed, CEO of Gradian Health Systems.
“As a non-profit medical technology company that develops, distributes, and sustains world-class medical equipment for health care systems across Africa and Asia, we know equipping health care providers with the equipment, training, and support they need can transform care and the ability to respond to COVID-19. Gradian desires every anesthesia provider to have all the tools necessary to care for each patient, from a high-quality anesthesia machine to every piece of equipment the patient deserves for optimal safety.”
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Diaspora African Forum (diasporaafricanforum.org)
The Diaspora African Forum (DAF) is an African Union (AU) endorsed non-profit organization opened on July 7, 2001 by H.E. President J.A.Kufuor. DAF is the only African Diaspora organization in the world with diplomatic status enabling DAF to accomplish groundbreaking work in diaspora advocacy at the highest levels of government in Ghana and Africa, in general. DAF’s mandate is to support the AU and Member States towards the integration of Africans in the diaspora while strengthening African diaspora engagement in Ghana and continent wide. DAF plans to continue its efforts as a change agent towards the development of solid policies for the reintegration of the diaspora Africa worldwide.
Gradian Health Systems (gradianhealth.org)
Gradian Health Systems is a nonprofit medical technology company that works to transform the impact of medical equipment in resource-constrained hospitals around the world. With a business model that blends sales and grant revenue to sustain our mission, we distribute world-class medical devices and provide local, hands-on training and customer support to minimize downtime and maximize impact. Gradian works in partnership with governments, distributors, universities, hospitals, and NGOs to build capacity in anesthesia, critical care, and biomedical engineering alongside the introduction of its products. Gradian’s products, including the Universal Anaesthesia Machine and the Gradian CCV (Comprehensive Care Ventilator), are in 700+ health facilities worldwide.