Minister Commends Zoomlion …Using WHO Standards In Disinfection Exercise

Zoomlion Ghana Limited has been commended for using World Health Organisation (WHO) approved standards, and state-of-the-art equipment, in its dis-infection and dis-infestation exercises.

Deputy Minister of Defence, Major (Rtd) Derrick Oduro, made the commendation when he launched the nationwide disinfection and dis-infestation of military facilities and Garrisons at Burma Camp, Accra, on Monday.

According to him, the use of such high quality equipment has enabled Zoomlion to cover enough grounds in its dis-infestation and disinfection exercises.

In this regard, he urged the company to do a thorough work in all the military facilities and their schools to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).

The deputy minister pointed out that the health and general well-being of members of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) was very paramount to the government.

This, he noted, was the reason the government engaged Zoomlion Ghana Limited to undertake such an exercise in all military facilities across the country.

“Just as the disinfection exercise of both public and private schools in the country, this exercise which is to be replicated in the country has become crucial to reduce/control the community spread of Covid-19,” explained Major (Rtd) Oduro.

However, Major (Rtd) Oduro cautioned that the exercise alone was not a panacea to the spread of the virus “if we do not play our part to stop it.”

In line with this, he disclosed that the Armed Forces had put in place teams to ensure the strict compliance of the President’s directives on Covid-19.

“Let us all continue to maintain these protocols by wearing our nose masks, keeping social distancing, regular washing of our hands and use of hand sanitisers,” he advised.

He used the chance to applaud the GAF for their professionalism and sense of urgency to duty.

“On this note, I want to commend all ranks for standing up to your call and for the support you continue to offer the Commander-in-Chief and my Ministry,” he commended.

“There is no doubt that the efforts you are making to provide the all-round security and support, including logistics in this period, has contributed to the success that we have chalked as a country,” he said.

For his part, the Chief of Defence Staff Lieutenant General Boamah Acquahu, reiterated the GAF’s commitment to continue to support the government in the fight against Covid-19.

“In this regard, we will continue to utilise the Level II Hospital at El Wak Stadium, put at the disposal of the Ghana Health Service our logistics chain management expertise and use all assets, by land, sea and air, to tackle the menace, until the fight is won,” he assured.

He indicated that personnel of GAF have been deployed to enforce adherence to the Covid-19 preventive protocols directed by the President.

“As our contribution, we deployed across the length and breadth of our country enforcing the measures. We helped to enforce the three-week lockdown; in providing security at Isolation Centres, providing escorts to fumigation teams, among others,” the CDS recounted.

According to him, the exercise will ensure that personnel and their families are safe to carry out their duties.

The Chief Operations Officer and Managing Director of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Mrs Florence Larbi, said throughout its disinfection “we use disinfectants that are chorine-based containing sodium hypochlorite.

This, she said, was effective within 10–60 minutes’ of contact time, widely available and recommended by World Health Organization for surface disinfection as part of infection prevention.

…Chlorine-based solutions are safe and used for water treatment, for example in swimming pools. This Chlorine based disinfectant is most effective in killing bacteria, fungi and viruses, including influenza virus,” she further added.

“I also want to take this opportunity to assure all of us present here and the entire country that our state-of-the-art vector control assemblage of equipment is second to none in the waste management sector in Ghana. We have in readiness, thousands of Motorised Spraying Machines that can be deployed to a wide coverage area within the shortest time possible. We also have Phoenix Fogger Machines (both hand operated and car mounted), Knapsack spraying machines, Boom Spraying Vehicles and Drones among others. We are also proud to announce the Modern Atomizing Boom Machine as an addition to our growing technological inventory. This machine is capable of spraying up to 50 meters high and we are outdooring that today,” she disclosed.