Story by Yaaba Yamikeh, Tarkwa
Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, in collaboration with Project C.U.R.E, an international non-profit organisation, has donated essential medical equipment and supplies worth over 790, 000 dollars to some public health facilities in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea-Hunivalley municipalities of Western Region.
This is in line with the partners’ vision of strengthening primary healthcare delivery across the two municipalities and ensuring that all their public health facilities are better equipped to meet the needs of local population.
Donation of the equipment also represents a significant step in reducing the strain on frontline staff and enabling a more effective referral pathway to secondary facilities such as the Apinto Government hospital.
Legacy programmes
The donation formed part of the Foundation’s Group Legacy Programme’s flagship initiative, dubbed ‘ Expanded Access to quality healthcare.โ
The items included hospital beds, incubators, anesthesia machines, imaging devices and a wide range of consumables such as gloves, syringes and sterile dressings shipped in three 40- foot containers.
At a ceremony in Tarkwa on Wednesday where they were presented to heads of the respective public health facilities, including CHIP Compounds, Mr. Abdel Razak Yakubu, Executive Secretary of the Foundation, said it was geared towards making the two municipalities the hub of medical excellence in Ghana.
Mr. Yakubu said the donation followed a comprehensive baseline needs assessment conducted in 2024. Based in Denver, Colorado, Project C.U.R.E assembled a customized consignment of medical equipment and consumables tailored to the requirements of health facilities in Gold Fields Ghana’s host communities and shipped them to Ghana in the containers.
The Executive Secretary disclosed that all associated costs of the Project C.U.R.E partnership, including the baseline needs assessment, shipping, customs clearance and inland transportation were financed by the Foundation at a cost of 95, 987.08 dollars.
Sustainable devโt
He said the partnership with Project C.U.R.E was at the piloting stage and reflected a long-term commitment to sustainable community development in addition to contributing directly to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, citing SDG 3, 17, 1 and 10.
Mr. Yakubu noted that Gold Fields Ghana Foundation under the Group Legacy Programme, also undertakes four health screening and awareness creation exercises in the host communities every year, adding that 8,845 people were screened between 2023 and 2025.
He further disclosed that 2, 889 individuals were newly enrolled under the National Health Insurance Scheme or had their cards renewed during this period.
Mr. Yakubu said Almighty God had blessed the host communities with gold and that as a mining company, Gold Fields Ghana will leave developmental footprints in all aspects of the people’s lives, especially in health.
It is in this vein that he said other health facilities, including the Tarkwa municipal hospital, Apinto and University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) hospitals, will also get their fair share of the equipment next year.
The Executive Secretary also spoke of plans by the Foundation to construct an accident and emergency centre at Apinto where kidney issues will be handled.
He said the Foundation would team up with Ghana Health Service to train doctors who would be working with machines at this centre.
In a brief remark made on behalf of Dr. Marion Okoh- Owusu, the Regional Director of Ghana Health Services, Mr. Chester Anaba, Technical Manager for the directorate, said the equipment were of high quality which could not even be found in some major hospitals throughout the country.
He said by donating this equipment to health facilities in the two municipalities, Gold Fields Ghana Foundation and Project C.U.R.E had put big smiles on the faces of workers and patients at these facilities.
He said the Foundation had done a lot to support the health sector in Western Region and commended it for this feat.
Mr. Anaba stressed the need for effective maintenance of the equipment to help prolong their lifespan, adding that it would not be out of place if accessories and parts were secured for prompt replacement in case any of them breaks down or becomes faulty.
The Member of Parliament for Tarkwa-Nsueam constituency, Mr. Issah Salifu Taylor, said although the items looked beautiful, they were not luxurious but critically needed medical equipment to promote quality healthcare and save lives in the host communities.
Mr. Taylor who doubles as board member of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, reiterated the Foundation’s commitment to leaving legacies in the host communities and transforming lives of the people, with health promotion as its priority.
The ceremony was chaired by Dr. Nana Adarkwa Bediakoh II, Gyaasehene of Apinto Divisional area.
