Mining company launches programme to promote employees' health

March 04, 2011
Obuasi, March 4, GNA - Sandvik Mining and Construction Company in Ghana (SMCG), has launched a programme to promote the health and well-being of its employees.

The programme seeks to bridge the gap between occupational health and safety management and non-work related health issues.

Mr James Ossthuizen, the Managing Director, said the goal was to make sure that the company's employees and their dependants were in good physical and mental conditions at all times.

"Being well and healthy means, a person can physically and emotionally carry out personal goals in life," he said and added that to achieve this, "an employee must feel good and function well."

He said through the programme, Sandvik had set out to assist the workers to lead fulfilling lives outside the workplace.

Mr David P. Gardner, a former Managing Director, urged the employees to support the management to maintain a healthy working environment.

Mr Emmanuel Ntoso, Deputy Municipal Coordinating Director, commended SMCG for their ingenuity and reminded them not to make it a "nine-day wonder."

He said it was imperative for employers to seek the well-being and health of their staff since healthy workers made healthy company or an organization.

Mr Hussein Abugri, the Executive Manager in-charge of Human Resource, said they were driven by the philosophy that the "business is the people and the people are the business" and that was why it had embarked on a number of health programmes for the employees.

These include malaria control, HIV, tuberculosis and diabetes programmes all aimed at the health and well-being of the employees.

GNA