The Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) on Thursday presented personal protective equipment (PPE) to seven health facilities in its operational area to augment government's efforts to curb spread of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.

The items worth GH¢48,696.00 were to support the Kenyasi District Hospital and the Gyedu Health Centre in the Asutifi North and the Yamfo, Terchire, Tanoso and Adrobaa Health Centres and the Susuanso Community-based Health Planning and Services Compound in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region to be well-equipped for effective service delivery to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.

The items include; 100 pieces of five-litre gallons of hand sanitizer, 5000 pieces of surgical nose masks, 9000 pieces of surgical hand gloves, 420 bundles of tissue papers, 40 pieces of five-litre gallons of liquid soap, 50 pieces of five-litre gallons of disinfectant and seven infrared thermometer guns.

Speaking at the ceremony, Madam Monica Nkrumah, the Chairperson for the NADeF Board of Trustees said the Foundation would distribute 1,200 pieces of cloth nose masks within the 10 host communities of Newmont Ghana Ahafo Mine to protect and promote the health and well-being of people within those communities.

She stated the COVID-19 pandemic was wreaking havoc across the globe because millions of people continued to bear the brunt of it, saying the global death rate as at Tuesday, July 28, 2020 was more than 655,000.

The need to support individuals and institutions to fight the disease, Mad. Nkrumah added had become more critical to prevent spread of the virus disease in the country.

She commended the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the COVID-19 frontline workers for the selfless contributions and commitment towards the fight against the disease.
Mad. Nkrumah admitted "although the COVID-19 poses great danger to us as people, the tireless efforts of the MoH, the GHS and the front-line workers has brought impressive recovery numbers to the country".

She hoped the donations would greatly help the people of Ahafo and the public to be free from spread of the COVID-19.

Mrs. Eva Aryee-Baah, the Tano North Municipal Director of Health Services on behalf of the beneficiary health facilities thanked NADeF for the support, adding that inadequate amount of PPE was a major challenge for the beneficiary facilities in their effort to prevent spread of the disease, but now the situation would change.

Established in May 2008, NADeF is the corporate social responsibility arm of the Newmont Ghana Ahafo Mine to accelerate the socio-economic development of the company's 10 host communities.