Community and Legal Relations Officer of Mensin Gold, Mr Emmanuel Aidoo
Mensin Gold Bibiani Limited in the Ashanti Region has shut its camps to visitors after Bibiani in the operating area of the company recorded its first case of COVID-19.
All the satellite camps will remain closed up to May 31, 2020, officials of the company said following the disclosure by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) last Wednesday.
The measure is to prevent workers — some of whom live within the town — from coming into contact with infected people and contracting the disease.
Access to the facility has been restricted to only company and essential contract staff, with exceptions granted to regulators and other officials.
Mitigation
The Community and Legal Relations Officer of Mensin Gold, Mr Emmanuel Aidoo, told the Daily Graphic that the company had implemented a comprehensive company-wide response to the coronavirus pandemic to ensure that its impact was mitigated across all aspects of operations.
He said as a subsidiary within the Resolute Group, the company was following the group’s Crisis Response Plan in addition to the national protocols towards the fight against COVID-19 in Ghana.
Mr Aidoo said the company had constituted a COVID-19 Response Committee that monitored and implemented the plan as might be applicable in the company’s situation.
Copies of the plan have been provided to the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipal Assembly and the Municipal Security Council.
Mr Aidoo said based on the response plan, the company had put on hold all public and social gatherings until further notice, while non-essential business travels remained suspended.
Donation
Mensin Gold has assisted the GHS with a number of items.
These include personal protective equipment to frontline workers at the isolation centre located at the Bibiani Municipal Hospital; assistance for enhanced sensitisation on COVID-19 in the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipality and the four communities outside of Bibiani.
The company has also provided a designated pick-up vehicle to the service in Bibiani with fuel and lunch for 12 people for 10 days for community visits on COVID-19 sensitisation; fixed a faulty ambulance to transport infected persons within and outside of Bibiani; provided 33 hand washing equipment, tissue towels and soap to the Bibiani Local Council of Churches for placement at vantage locations for use by community members, and provided 38 hand washing equipment, 200 bottles of rubbing alcohol and 200 pieces of tissue towel to the Nkawie Traditional Council — covering Abofrem, Pipeline, Ahyiresu and Donkoto communities.
The company has also made available two self-contained isolation units and a 20-bed ward to be utilised if required.
Activities
Beyond COVID-19 activities, the company is also embarking on a renovation of the Bibiani Old Town Primary School which is expected to be inaugurated after easing of COVID-19.
It has also concluded a draft agreement with Safe Water Network for the construction of the Old Town/Zongo Small Town Water Supply Station.
The draft agreement is currently pending review by the Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai Municipal Assembly.
