COVID-19; Gold Fields Supports Prestea Huni - Valley Health Directorate to Fight Disease.

The Prestea Huni –Valley Health Directorate has taken delivery of some Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which will help the frontline health workers in the fight against COVID-19 in the Prestea Huni – Valley Municipality in the Western Region.

The PPE donated by Gold Fields Ghana Limited Damang Mine, Tuesday, April 21, 2020, were part of the support the mining firm was extending to health workers and members in the company’s host communities.

Gold Fields Ghana Limited, as part of their priorities, to see to it that, no case is recorded in their catchment areas and even if recorded, it can be contained, has set aside an amount of $400, 000 to battle the disease.

The items received by the directorate were 21,420 pairs of hand gloves, 15,670 pieces of pocket-sized alcohol-based hand sanitizers, 754 large bottles of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, 5,408 pieces of surgical masks, 5,832 pieces of N95 masks, 1,080 pieces of protective gowns and 50 pairs of surgical boots.

The other items of the package included 652 flog pieces of sample collection kits, 90 pairs of surgical wellington boots, 30 pieces of veronica buckets, 25 pieces of Macintosh aprons and 41 handheld non – contact infrared thermometers. - All were at a cost of $108,000.

Addressing the short ceremony on behalf of the Relieving General Manager of Damang Mine Charles Kofi Nti in Bogoso, the Human Resources Manager for Damang Mine Mr William Empeh stated that, it was always good to stay ahead of the virus, hence the company would not relent on its effort to help fight the disease which had already swept many to the grave.

He also revealed that Gold Fields Damang mine “in the coming weeks will commence the fumigation of critical areas such as market centres, principal streets, car stations among others in its host communities, to compliment the mass spraying exercise embarked by the government”.

Mr Empeh said the Damang Mine has already distributed preventive items such as bottles of antiseptic liquid soaps, hand washing facilities, gallons of hand sanitizers, sanitizer dispensers and pieces of nose masks to its host communities and some health centres at a cost of Ghc60,000.

These, he believes, could serve as enough preparations to stay alive in the midst of the deadly COVID-19,

Receiving the items, the Prestea Huni – Valley Health Director Mr Emmanuel Kofi Tamakloe, thanked the mining firm for supporting them.

“We are very grateful to Gold Fields Management for donating these items to us. In fact, I am very happy they said again that, more are on the way coming so we will be expecting them”. He said.

Mr Tamakloe later promised to distribute the items accordingly, to help all health workers deal with the disease in his jurisdiction.

On his part, the Prestea Huni – Valley Municipal Coordinator Mr Peter Wilson said, he was impressed with the kind of donation Gold Fields made but asked for more relief as the municipality fights COVID-19.