Jasper Musadaidzwa (right) presenting some drugs to the prisons offcials
Healthcare delivery at the Tarkwa Local Prisons in the Western Region has been given a major boost following the refurbishment of the prison’s infirmary by AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited, a gold mining company based in the region, at a cost of over GH¢27,000.
The initiative was, among other things, to help ensure that the inmates receive the best primary healthcare before referrals are made for further assessment where required.
The infirmary had been stocked with quality drugs, medical beds, stethoscope, refrigerator, among others, to help preserve drugs and vaccines.
According to the gold mining company, the refurbishment of the infirmary was in fulfillment of a commitment it made to the authorities of Tarkwa Prisons and the inmates.
At the official handing over ceremony, Jasper Musadaidzwa, managing director of the gold mining company, explained that investing in health is part of the company’s development strategy.
He mentioned that over the years, AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine had undertaken various health-related initiatives.
Jasper Musadaidzwa mentioned some of them as supplying of intravenous medication to Tarkwa Government Hospital and organising periodic health outreach in the company’s 19 host communities.
The rest are the construction of a health post at Teberebie, construction of an ultra-modern healthcare facility to serve the people of Wangarakrom and its environs at a cost of over GH¢579,000.
“We have further started the process of launching the malaria control programme in our communities at a budget of GH¢340,000. So far we have committed in total GH¢1,062,983.36 towards healthcare and sanitation for 2017. These are our manifestation to our health commitment,” he added.
The managing director of the gold mining company urged other corporate organisations to work in collaboration with the government in changing the face of the country’s incarceration centres.
“We have to look at other areas too, where public and private partnerships are desperately needed; where our people are suffering and where we can make significant and long lasting changes,” he pointed out.
Jasper Musadaidzwa continued… “We have already donated to the Tarkwa Prisons eight sets of 40-inch flat screen televisions and 20 wall fans which had been mounted to serve as a medium for learning and entertainment, as well as improve ventilation in the cells.”
The Officer-in-charge of the Tarkwa Prisons, Kwaku Ababio Ali, expressed appreciation to AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine for coming to the aid of the inmates.
He explained that prison management today was shifting from a mere warehousing of convicted persons to an enhanced system of ensuring the welfare and training of inmates in employable skills so that they would return to the society with a changed mentality.
Kwaku Ababio Ali has, therefore, appealed to other philanthropists and corporate institutions to assist the prisons establish an information, communication and technology (ICT) centre in the prisons to train the inmates in ICT since it has become an integral part of the business environment today.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Tarkwa