The United Arab Emirates-based agent in Ghana’s botched attempt to procure Sputnik V vaccines, Sheikh Al Maktoum, has fully refunded the sum of US$2.47 million to the government of Ghana.
In a letter addressed to the chief director of the Ministry of Health, Sheikh Al Maktoum indicated that the balance, which is the remaining amount for the non-supplied doses of the vaccines has already been refunded duly.
“The requested amount of two million,;four hundred and seventy thousand United States dollars has already been refunded to the designated bank account as communicated by you.
“The Swift and the payment advice for the refund is hereby attached for your reference and record. We also confirm that;no funds have ever been drawn under the LC. Also, kindly note that the LC stands expired since June 2021 and is no longer a valid legal instrument issued in our favor.”
Sheikh Al Maktoum
This follows the demand for a refund by the Minister of Health,;Kweku Agyeman Manu after the failure of Sheikh Al Maktoum to supply about 300,000 Sputnik V vaccines in an agreement signed with the government,; which saw his outfit delivering only 20,000.
This issue of the vaccine procurement further resulted in the probe of the Minister by the Parliamentary Committee,;which was set up to investigate the controversial Sputnik V vaccine deal. The committee as part of its work ordered the Minister to retrieve the money immediately.
345 New COVID-19 cases
As government relentlessly makes efforts to procure vaccines for the country,;the cases are on the other hand not dying out as expected.
According to the Ghana Health Service (GES),;345 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed pushing the country’s active cases to 6,765.
The Service in its update also indicated that,;the death toll has hit 892 after twelve additional fatalities were recorded across the country.
Currently, Ghana’s total confirmed cases stand at 109,022 with health officials having recorded 101,365 recoveries.
The GHS also disclosed that, so far, 87 persons are in severe condition while 36 remain critical. Cases detected at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) are 2,430 with 2, 187 recoveries.
According to the Ghana Health Service also,;the month of July recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases;among international arrivals since the airport opened on 1 September 2020.
Delta variant kills three children
Meanwhile children aged between 22 months and 11 are reportedly contracting the coronavirus;in Ghana’s third wave of infection according to health officials have said.
The Ghana Medical Association’s COVID-19 team for the Greater Accra Region,;has said three out of five children admitted to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital since the start of the new wave of infections have died from the virus.
The Delta variant which has become the cause of the new trend in the nation’s capital,;Accra, is increasingly affecting young people and the surge in the virus in general.
