AngloGold Ashanti Commissions Health Centre

AngloGold Ashanti through the Iduapriem Community Trust Fund has commissioned the Wangarakrom Health Centre which has been named “Nana Kobina Angu II Health Centre.”

It was constructed at a cost of GH¢677,000.00 on a land donated by the Chief of Apinto with the support of the elders.

A statement from the company said the facility would serve communities of Wangarakrom, Badukrom and Nkyemia.

The chiefs and elders of the three communities therefore named the Health Centre after the occupant of the Apinto stool.

The Health Centre was constructed based on a baseline study financed by the Trust Fund in 2015 to assess community access to health care facilities, which revealed that about 37 per cent of the people had to travel more than five kilometres to access medical care facilities and in cases of emergencies, this posed a challenge especially in instances where there was no available transportation.

The Health Centre was expected to provide health services to about 900 community members on a monthly basis, with the objective of promoting healthy living and to provide the much needed health care services to host communities.

“Iduapriem Gold Mine is committed to achieving 95 percent access to basic healthcare facilities in the communities in which it operates. In that pursuit, the construction and operation of Wangarakrom health facility is one of the interventions under the Integrated Health Project of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Gold Mine; that is aimed at increasing access to health care delivery in and around the mine’s host communities and the Municipality as a whole,” Jasper Musadaidzwa MD of the Mine noted.

It was anticipated from the baseline survey conducted for the local communities in 2015 that access to basic health care will improve from 63.2per cent to about 90 per cent following the commissioning of the Wangarakrom Health Centre.

The Board Chairman of the AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Community Trust Fund, Professor Newton Amegbey, indicated that the secretariat was committed to working with all development agencies in the Municipality towards the achievement of healthy lifestyles and the promotion of the well-being  of communities  within the mine’s catchment area.

He called on the Municipal Health Directorate and the leadership of the community to ensure the sustainability and optimal use of the facility.

Currently there are three health centres that have been commissioned by the Mine namely the Adieyie Clinic, Teberebie Health Centre and Wangarakrom Health Centre.

Community members expressed their appreciation to the Mine for the kind gesture as they will no longer have to travel far distances to receive medical treatment.

Source: GNA