AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine have commissioned a twenty-bed isolation center at a total cost of GH?300,000 for the Tarkwa-Nusaem Municipality.

The centre at the Apinto government hospital has been refurbished with state-of-the-art equipment, washrooms, and ventilators to prevent cross-infection.

About GH?700,000 has been spent by the Mine to procure medical supplies for the management of COVID -19 cases within the municipality.

The items include; 100 hospital beds with mattresses, patient monitors, 80 drip stands, 30 infra-red thermometers, 20 split air conditioners, 30 blood pressure monitors, 10 pulse oximeters, and 30 refrigerators.

Mr Samuel Boakye Pobee, Managing Director of AAI Mine, said to support and enhance the testing of coronavirus in Tarkwa-Nsuaem and beyond, the Mine had used GH?500,000 to provide cartridges, swab sticks, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), toiletries, alcohol-based sanitizers, and essential drugs to include hydroxychloroquine, dexamethasone, anticoagulants, antibiotics and immune boosters for COVID -19 case management.

He announced that the Municipal hospital laboratory at Bogrekrom had commenced COVID-19 testing and the Mine was already aware of the existing resource constraints, added that, AAI Mine was making the necessary arrangement to refurbish the laboratory.

"Indeed, there is no gainsaying that this intervention by Iduapriem Mine which was about GHc1.5 million Ghana was very timely, especially as Ghana had entered the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with a sudden rise in cases due to the new Delta Variant, challenges in procuring vaccines for the general population and non-adherence to the safety protocols" Mr Pobee noted.

The Managing Director emphasized that "while we continue to do our part, we want to appeal to the general public, especially residents in Tarkwa, to abide by the safety protocol outlined by the World Health Organization and the Ghana Health Service".

He commended the Municipal Assembly, Health Directorate and management of Apinto government hospital for the assistance and cooperation in establishing the isolation centre.

Mr Pobee further said "as a Mine, we are committed to working actively to mitigate health risks in the workplace and respond to community health issues in the areas where we operate. We believe that together we can work to promote healthy lives and well-being for all at all ages in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3)".

He said they would continue to count on the immeasurable support and commitment of all relevant stakeholders, especially the Municipal health directorate, in realizing this objective.

Mr Benjamin Kessie, Tarkwa-Nusaem Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) praised the management of AAI Mine for fulfilling their promise.

"Tarkwa-Nsuaem was an epic centre but through the hard work of our health professionals and support from our stakeholders like AAI Mine we were able to reduce it. The number of cases had shot up and so opening this facility was timely as it would help to properly manage those who have been infected " he added.

The MCE indicated that "as AAI Mine continues to do more for residents in the Municipality, l am appealing to the host communities to make the environment more peaceful and friendly for them to go about their businesses"

Mrs Caroline Effah Otoo, Municipal Health Director, said she was impressed with assistance the directorate had received from AAI Mine since the outbreak of the pandemic.

She pledged to take good care of the items and also educate their staff on the various equipment so that it would last longer.

The Head of Rapid Response Team of COVID-19 in the Municipality, Dr Joseph Darko, was grateful for the goodwill done the facility, stressing that, "there is nowhere in this world that we will have hundred percent success against Covid-19 but we will do our best to ensure that we will make the best use of what we have been given to the benefit of the people that we serve".

Nana Kwesi Atobrah II, Chief of Essuoso Divisional Council, on behalf of Wassa Fiase Traditional Area, expressed gratitude to Iduapriem Mine and appealed to the security agencies to enforce the COVID-19 protocols especially the wearing of the nose masks and shield.