New Abirem (E/R), Sept. 19, GNA – The Newmont, Ghana- Akyem Mines has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth GH¢152.000.00 to host communities to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the area.
The items donated included; nose masks, hand sanitizers, boxes of liquid soap and veronica buckets.
At a ceremony to hand the items to the communities, Mr Joshua Mortoti, the General Manager for Newmont, Ghana- Akyem Mines, said that the company had established a US$20 million global fund to help host communities, government and employees around the world to combat the pandemic, hence the donation.
He said to be able to overcome the disease in the country and globally, it was important to have strong management systems within communities to support and prevent the spread of the disease.
He said currently, Eastern Region recorded 97 active cases out of which 12 cases were recorded in the Birim North District.
Mr Mortoti said the health and safety of their workers and host communities remained their utmost priority, hence their continuous support.
He said in the bid to support the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, Newmont Ghana had signed a three milliion Memorandum Of Understanding with the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) to construct two testing centers at the New Abirem Government Hospital.
He said the company had already contributed and implemented a number of donations to the National and district as efforts to help fight the corona virus disease.
Some of the interventions he mentioned were supporting the Ghana’s public health efforts with US$ 100,000 and allocating US$ 20,000 to the Birim North District assembly to help minimize the spread of the corona virus pandemic in the country.
Mr.Mortoti said Newmont Ghana also embarked on a 12- week radio education programme on the prevention and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, donating GH¢195.000.00 worth of medical consumables to the New Abirem Government Hospital and was committed to doing their part to help strengthen the capabilities of their public institutions to enable them put in place measures to minimize the risks and impacts.
He entreated the communities to put the items to good use and was hopeful it would go a long way to help minimize the spread of the pandemic.
He therefore cautioned that directives put in place by the government must strictly be adhered to help control the disease.
GNA