Golden Star Resources Wassa Limited (GSWL) has donated US$70,000 worth of medical equipment to ten health facilities in its catchment communities.
The beneficiary centers are Akyempim Community Clinic, Nsadweso Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compound, New Subri CHPS Compound, Atieku Health Center, and Benso Health Center. The rest are Mpohor Health Center, Senchem CHPS Compound, Brofoyedur CHPS Compound, Ayinabriem CHPS Compound, Daboase Health Center and Daboase Ahmadiya Hospital.
They will be stocked with incubators, protective equipment, basic diagnostic equipment and non-medical consumables.
The donation formed part of Golden Star’s pandemic preparedness programme in partnership with GIZ and the District Health Directorates of Wassa East, Mpohor and Tarkwa. The medical consumables will support quality and effective healthcare services to Golden Stars host communities.
The choice of GIZ and the District Health Directorates as partners was to ensure the sustainability of the programme beyond the life of the mine. In a speech read on his behalf, The Managing g Director (MD) of GSR, Shadrach Sowah, explained that responsible mining was based on shared values, where the host communities were empowered economically and socially, because of the mining activity in their areas. It is a position GSWL took seriously as captured in their mission to benefit more people with development.
The Brofoyedur Queenmother, who represented the Divisional Queenmother, was full of praise for the mining company for going over and beyond to provide impactful programmes and donations for the benefit of uts host communities.
The pandemic preparedness programme, with funding to the tune of 4,320,916 to be expended on the three year project, is committed to develop, maintain, and improve robust data collection in GSWL host communities.
This would aid effective decision making in times of crisis or pandemics like COVID-19. The programme would also develop a road map for increased access to health, safety, financial wellbeing and enhance social protection for GSWL host communities.
To that end, GSWL has supported various activities and programmes, including the distribution of sanitary towels to Senior High School students in its host communities. In addition, it has also registered over 7,000 host community members onto the National Health Insurance Scheme.
