AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has inaugurated two new health centres at Apitikooko and Dokyiwa/Binsere in the Ashanti Region as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare and reduce the doctor-to-patient ratio in the Obuasi Municipality.
The facilities are part of the company’s 10-year socio-economic development strategy, which focuses on enhancing healthcare, infrastructure and community development within its host communities.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, Ing. Dr Samuel Boakye Pobee, said the two communities were selected after consultations with stakeholders identified them as areas with limited access to healthcare services.
He noted that residents previously travelled as far as 16 kilometres to seek medical care, often resulting in delays in receiving treatment and emergency services. The new health centres, he said, will significantly improve access to quality healthcare and emergency response.
Dr Pobee revealed that the municipality currently has a doctor-to-patient ratio of about 1:10,000, compared with the national average of 1:12,000, while the United Nations recommends a ratio of 1:3,000.
He said AngloGold Ashanti is working with the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, the Ghana Health Service and the Ministry of Health to improve the ratio to 1:6,000 by 2030, with the long-term goal of meeting international standards.
The newly commissioned facilities have been equipped with modern medical equipment, including laboratory services, to support primary healthcare delivery for residents of Apitikooko, Dokyiwa/Binsere and neighbouring communities.
To ensure the facilities remain operational, the mining company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Obuasi Municipal Assembly and the Municipal Health Directorate for their management and maintenance.
Dr Pobee stressed the importance of proper maintenance to safeguard the equipment and ensure the centres continue to provide quality healthcare services.
Ashanti Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, assured the public that the Ghana Health Service would deploy the necessary healthcare professionals, including midwives and Community Health Officers, to operationalise the centres.
He also announced plans to establish Community Health Management Committees to educate residents on maintaining the facilities and supporting healthcare delivery.
Dr Adomako-Boateng commended AngloGold Ashanti for its sustained investment in healthcare, highlighting initiatives such as the screening and treatment of over 19,000 residents, capacity-building programmes for health workers, and the distribution of more than 52,000 sanitary pads to schools.
He further encouraged residents to enrol on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to improve access to healthcare as Ghana pursues Universal Health Coverage by 2030.
Source: citinews
