By Juliet Aguiar DUGBARTEY
GoldFields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) has donated assorted items worth GH¢477,000 to Health Centres and Security agencies in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea- Huni Valley Municipalities of the Western Region.
The gesture, is to enhance the capacity of two health institutions at Abosso and Huni Valley, the Ghana Police and the Intelligence Community at Tarkwa to improve their service delivery.
The Abosso Health Centre, received hospital equipment including a suction machine for resuscitation of babies, weighing scales, a delivery set, delivery bed, ultrasound scan machine, blood pressure (BP) apparatus, oxygen with oxygen cylinder, television sets and office chairs and desk totaling GH¢ 247,000.00.
Huni Valley Health Centre also received a laboratory glass ware set, widal test kits (Box), laboratory accessories set, refrigerators, needles and syringes totaling GH¢145,000.00
The Tarkwa Police Command and the Intelligence Community received office equipment worth GH¢ 52,750.00.
Speaking at a brief ceremony, Abdel-Razak Yakubu, Executive Secretary of GFGF explained that the donation was in response to a request made by these institutions.
The Foundation he noted, consider the health sector and security services as trusted stakeholders that contribute to the development of the communities in which Gold Fields operates.
He specified that the donation to Aboso Health Centre was to refurbish the facility and ensure it is well managed and provide services to save the lives of new born babies, adding “the television sets are to make patients and clients feel comfortable”
“That of Huni Valley Health Center is to ensure the laboratory is operational and make the maternity ward function effectively” he added.
“We appeal to these institutions to put the items to the use for which they have been donated. We encourage them to adopt sound preventive maintenance practices for the equipment to ensure they last their ideal life span, he advised.”
He recalled that in 2023, Gold Fields conducted a study to identify a programme christened “Gold Fields Legacy Programme” for the company to sponsor through its Foundation, to leave a lasting legacy after the life of the mine”.
“The study, recommended GFGF to implement a health intervention programme that will make Tarkwa -Nsuaem and Prestea- Huni Valley Municipalities the hub for medical excellence in Ghana”, he said.
The programme, born out of the study was the “Expanded Access to Quality Health Care programme. Its scope included; the construction of an Accident and Emergency Center for Apinto Government Hospital, the renovation of the Out Patients Department (OPD) and other facilities at the hospital, he said.
He said, there will also be the provision of critical medical equipment for host community health facilities, training and capacity building of health staff in host community facilities and expansion of free medical outreach programmes for host communities.
GFGF, he stated, was grateful to the institutions for their dedication towards the services they provide to the Municipalities and the country at large.
The Municipal Health Director, Prestea -Huni Valley, Mr. Timothy Kobina Ofori said “we are overwhelmed that the health sector is blessed with this equipment.
This is a noble gesture and we assure you that the items will be maintained to promote the optimal health of our clients” he concluded.
