NPA Pays Axim Pre-Mix Victims' Medical Bills

The Deputy Minister for Energy in charge of Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has directed the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to design and implement health and safety standards to be followed by local landing beach committees to help prevent fuel-related accidents.

 
He also asked them to build and operate model premix fuel delivery sites to be taken over by private investors.

Mr Buah gave the directive when the Ministry of Energy and the NPA made a donation of GH¢10,000 to the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, to cover part of the medical expenses of some of the victims who were injured in the recent premix explosion which claimed some lives at the Nzema East District in the Western Region. It follows an earlier donation to some victims in the same incident in the Western Region.

He also tasked the NPA to run an educational campaign to sensitize the public on the proper handling of fuel to reduce the incidence of fuel explosions.

The Director of the Centre, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, who received the donation, thanked the minister and the NPA for their kind gesture.

He said the centre would continue providing services to Ghana and the sub-region.

It will be recalled that there was an explosion last month at Bawire and Akyinim, a twin fishing community, near Axim in the Western Region, burning four people to death.

Some of the injured, who had sustained between 90 and 97 percent burns, were transferred to the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.