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Newmont Ghana's Akyem Mine has donated GHC 166,000 worth of medical supplies to the New Abirem Government Hospital and the Birim Central Municipal Health Directorate to support COVID-19 relief efforts in the mine's host communities and Region.
The donation included Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), personal hygiene items, and hospital equipment and consumables.
The company also supplied the New Abirem Government Hospital with building materials worth GHC 28,500 towards the construction of an Isolation Unit at the facility.
At a ceremony to present the items, the General Manager of Newmont Ghana's Akyem Mine, Joshua Mortoti, said that the company was committed to supporting public health institutions to be better positioned to manage the effects of the virus in the mine's catchment area.
"As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve within the country, we recognize the critical need for these interventions in our communities to stem the spread of the virus," he said.
"At Newmont Ghana, nothing is more important than health and safety of our people and host communities. It is our hope that our contribution will go a long way to facilitate the work of our frontline workers in fighting COVID-19 in our host communities," Mr Mortoti added.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the Birim Central Municipal Health Directorate, the Municipal Director for Health Services, Mr James Avoka said, "Since the outbreak of COVID- 19 in the country, the Ghana Health Service has been working tirelessly to prevent and control the spread of the virus with limited resources.
This, therefore, comes as a timely response to the Directorate's request for PPE and other medical supplies to benefit hospitals and clinics across our municipality.
Thanking Newmont Ghana for its continued support for the Birim North District, Mr Raymond Nana Damptey, District Chief Executive, said, "This donation adds on to Newmont's previous $20,000 contribution towards the District Assembly's efforts.
The construction of the Isolation Unit at the New Abirem Government Hospital will only enhance our preparedness and response capabilities within the District."
In April, Newmont Ghana donated a $100,000 support package towards Ghana's public health efforts to control the transmission of COVID-19 in the country.
This supported the Noguchi Health and Medical Research Center in Accra and the Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine with $25,000 each towards the procurement of test kits.
The Asutifi North and Birim North District Assemblies also received $20,000 each and the Tano North Municipal Assembly received $10,000 to support preventive measures in and around Newmont's Ahafo and Akyem mines and its Ahafo North Project area.
Beyond these efforts, Newmont has announced the establishment of a $20 million global fund to help host communities, governments and employees around the world combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company said it will continue to partner with the government, public health institutions and other organisations to implement further interventions to help prevent the spread and manage the impacts of COVID-19.
