Abosso Gold Fields organises health screening exercise in catchment area
Abosso Gold Fields Damang Mine on Saturday organised a health outreach programme for about 600 citizens of Nyamebekyere and Ata Ne Ata communities in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region.
The programme, funded at the cost of GH¢45, 000, saw medical teams diagnose patients, and provide medicines for those identified to have blood pressure, sugar levels, diabetes and malaria.
They also held counselling sessions on general health issues for the communities. However, patients who needed further medical checks were referred to tertiary referral hospitals.
The Community Affairs Manager of Damang Mine, Ms Maud Ofori, explained that the exercise formed part of the mine’s commitment to improve the health conditions of the people in the company’s catchment area.
She indicated that Gold Fields set aside an ounce of every gold produced and 1.5 per cent of its profits for the Gold Fields Foundation Fund to cater for health, education and other needs of the communities.
Ms Ofori believed that increased productivity rested on the good health of the people, stressing “health is wealth and we remain committed to health and the general welfare of our communities.”
She said Abosso Gold Fields believed that the gold industry must ensure good health of the people and for future generations, because provision of good health for communities included partnerships with the government.
“We have values we cherish and share with our stakeholders and communities and that include education, health, agriculture and infrastructure development, and, for health, every year, we organise the screening programmes,” she said.
The Municipal Director of Health for Prestea-Huni Valley, Kofi Tamakloe, advised the patients to take their breakfast every day to avoid stomach ulcers and also take supper on time, adding “don’t skip your meals, food is important.”
He encouraged the beneficiaries to provide eggs to improve the growth and development of their children.
Mr Tamakloe added: “Please, after 40 years, you need to reduce the intake of certain things like alcohol and too much of protein, so that you can save your kidney and liver and also avoid prostate cancer.”
The chief of Nyamebekyere, Nana Enimil Kwaw II, commended Gold Fields for the gesture which he said would improve the health status of the citizens.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, NYAMEBKEYERE