The Newmont Akyem Development Foundation (NAKDeF) has constructed and handed over four bungalows to the Afosu Health Center to provide accommodation for the health workers of the centre.
Each bungalow consists of a bedroom, kitchen, washroom, living room and high water tank, to ensure that the staff stay close to the health facility so that they could easily respond to emergency cases.
At a short ceremony to hand over the keys of the bungalows to the community, Mr Joshua Mortoti, the General Manager of Newmont Goldcorp- Akyem Mines, said Newmont’s purpose was to create value and improve lives through sustainable and responsible mining, hence the execution of development project in their host communities.
He said the gesture formed part of their corporate social responsibility strategy that includes a commitment to share value with communities in their catchment area.
This commitment, he added, formed the basis for the development and signing of Social Responsibility Agreements by Newmont.
He mentioned some sustainable social investments funded by the Foundation that included educational scholarships to youth in the area to secondary, vocational and tertiary training institutions, infrastructural and social amenities, youth development and promotion of culture, business development and economic empowerment among others.
Mr Mortoti said NAkDeF social investments are funded from Newmont’s contributions to the Foundation from two main sources, one per cent of Newmont Akyem mine pre-tax profits and US$1 per oz of gold sold.
He said the project was built to help improve health care delivery in the host communities of the mine and the district at large.
Mr Mortoti, therefore, encouraged community members and the health practitioners to play their respective roles in good faith, to manage the facilities very well to achieve the purpose for which they were built.
Receiving the keys on behalf of the health center, Mr Thomas Azurago, the District Director of Health Services applauded NAKDeF for the gesture and pleaded that the facility be fenced for the safety of the workers and patients who patronize the facility.
Nana Kofi Owusu Amoh III, the Chief of Akyem Afosu promised to provide a 30-acre land to the Health Centre for any future expansion and pleaded to the Birim North District Assembly to provide streetlights in the area to deter people from petty thefts.
Source: GNA
