Drogba Donates $1Million Medical Facility To Ivory Coast Battle Against Coronavirus

Chelsea and Cote d’ivoire legend, Didier Drogba has a lent out a helping hand to the government of his nation in their struggles against the novel coronavirus.

The former Galatasaray star donated his medical facility, Laurent Pokou hospital to the Ivorian government to aid their battle against COVID-19.

The hospital located in Attecoube, Abidjan was named after a former Ivorian International and manager, coach Lauren Pokou, who passed away in 2016.

The Chelsea legend donated his hospital to this humanitarian cause with the Mayor of Abidjan, Vincent Toh Bi Irie and the director of the Drogba Foundation, Mariam Breka present.

“We thank Drogba for this donation, which is considered an act of patriotism,” Toh Bi Irie said, according to a report by L’Equipe.

The hospital is yet to be fully functional but the Ivorian government hopes to make it up and running for isolation and treatment of COVID-19 cases.

The West African country has so far reported 533 cases and currently have the second highest-number behind Ghana – 566 cases – in West Africa. Even with that large number,  they’ve recorded only four deaths.

The first Coronavirus case in the country was recorded on March 11. Across the country and the entire continent in fact, they do not boast of world-class facilities like those in the USA or UK to battle the virus.

It is therefore generally agreed that Africa might suffer a worse case than is currently being experienced in most parts of Europe. Isolation and quarantine practices also do not seem to have the same ‘flattening curve’ effect as it has in other countries outside the continent.

Drogba’s hospital was initially designed as part of the Didier Drogba foundation to help Ivory Coast through their health struggles. That $1 million facility could now prove useful in Ivory Coast’s battle against coronavirus.

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