Gold Fields Foundation donates to health centres and security agencies

The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) has donated assorted items worth GH¢477,000 to health centres and security agencies in the Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea-Huni Valley municipalities of the Western Region. 

The gesture aims to enhance the capacity of two health institutions at Abosso and Huni Valley, the Ghana Police, and the Intelligence Community at Tarkwa to improve their service delivery.

The Abosso Health Centre received hospital equipment, including a suction machine for resuscitation of babies, weighing scales, a delivery set, a delivery bed, an ultrasound scan machine, blood pressure (BP) apparatus, oxygen with oxygen cylinder, television sets, and office chairs and desks totaling GH¢ 247,000.00. The Huni Valley Health Centre also received a laboratory glassware set, widal test kits (Box), laboratory accessories set, refrigerators, needles, and syringes totaling GH¢145,000.00, while the Tarkwa Police Command and the Intelligence Community received office equipment worth GH¢ 52,750.00.

Speaking at a brief ceremony, Abdel-Razak Yakubu, Executive Secretary of GFGF, explained that the donation was in response to a request made by these institutions. The Foundation, he noted, considered health service providers and security services as trusted stakeholders that contributed to the development of the communities in which Gold Fields operated.

He indicated that the donation to Aboso Health Centre was to refurbish the facility and ensure it was well managed to provide services to save the lives of newborn babies, adding that the support to the Huni Valley Health Center is to ensure it had effective and functional laboratory and mother and nurse-friendly maternity ward.

Mr. Yakubu appealed to the institutions to take good care of the equipment by instituting clear maintenance protocols for the equipment to last longer and benefit more people. He explained that the presentation to the health facilities was the outcome of a study by the Gold Fields 2023 to identify how, through sponsorship, the company, through its foundation, could have legacy projects for the communities.

Dubbed the "Expanded Access to Quality Health Care program," it included the construction of an Accident and Emergency Center for Apinto Government Hospital, the renovation of the Outpatients Department (OPD), and other facilities at the hospital, all to ensure medical excellence centers in the area. He added that there would be the provision of critical medical equipment for host community health facilities, training, and capacity building of health staff in host community facilities, and the expansion of free medical outreach programs for host communities.

The Municipal Health Director, Prestea-Huni Valley, Mr. Timothy Kobina Ofori, expressed delight at the presentation and gave the assurance that the equipment would be used to promote the health of the people.