Chirano Gold presents $1.2m projects to communities

Chirano Gold Mines Limited has commissioned and presented seven community projects valued at over $ 1.2 million to the people in its area of operations.

The projects include three clinics at Paboase, Ntrentreso and Nsuonsua. Each of the clinics has attached to it, a nurses’ quarters that can accommodate about three nurses. The mines has also put up a library and ICT centre for Chirano, a kindergarten block at Chine, a six-classroom block at Aboduaba and has sunk six boreholes for six other communities.

All the clinics have a male, female and children’s ward, an outpatient department, a records, antenatal and child welfare departments. Other facilities in the clinics are a lying-in, delivery ward, laboratory, offices and store rooms. The nurses’ quarters comprise four self-contained apartments situated on a four-acre land.

The amount of $354,000 from the overall cost of the projects was generated from a Trust Fund which is managed by the Community Consultative Committee (CCC), while the added sum of $ 906,000 was financed directly from the Chirano Gold Mines Limited’s community development project.

Funds managed by the CCC are accruals from a one-dollar charge that is put on every ounce of gold produced by the company.

Borehole beneficiaries
In a related development, the communities of Sorano, Appiakrom, Chine and Aboduaba are benefiting from five boreholes that have been sunk in the area by the mining company. The boreholes were sunk to augment the water needs of the people and reduce their dependence on streams and other water bodies.

Ken Norris
Speaking at  separate events at Paboase and Chirano, the General Manger of the Chirano Gold Mines Limited, Mr Ken Norris said nurses’ quarters were made a part of the clinic projects in order to ensure prompt response to the health needs of the people and put nurses close by so they do not have to travel long distances.

NHIS
According to Mr Norris, to ensure that inhabitants in Chirano Gold Mines’ operational areas had easy access to healthcare delivery, the company had taken it upon itself to register people in Nsuonsua, Ntrentreso and Paboase with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Roads
He indicated that last year, the company spent $170,000 on road rehabilitation works on three access roads that led to the company’s mining site.