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Business News of Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Source: listowell yesu bukarson.

Chirano gold mines invests over $1.2m in community projects

. The General Manager of the Chirano Gold Mines Limited in the Western Region, Mr. Ken Norris has commissioned a number of projects within the operations areas. The over 1.2 million dollars Trust Fund and Community projects include the Poboase Clinic which has wards for male, female and children as well as Out-Patient departments, records, anti-natal, child welfare clinic, laying-in, delivery ward, laboratory, offices, store rooms and four self contained nurses’ quarters on a four acre land. Other projects include, two Community Based Health Improvement Planning Service, CHPS, Compounds with Mechanized Water System, two educational facilities, an Information, Communication and Technology Centre, ICT and Library for both adults and children. Additionally, six new boreholes were be handed over to some communities to augment their water needs and reduce their reliance on streams and other flowing waters. Mr. Norris said, the two educational facilities were built at the Ntrentrso and Nsouonsua communities with the aim of bringing Health care closer to the people and in fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 which seeks to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health care among the rural poor by 2015. Adding that, “to ensure that access is not restricted, the company facilitated the National Health Insurance Scheme to undertake mass registration at Nsuonsua, Ntrentreso and Poboase”. He called on Health workers and the community to actively engage as partners in the delivery of Primary Health Care, family planning Services as well as establish Community Health Committees and Community Health Volunteers to support the compounds and clinic. The General Manager indicated that because “we live in a world where information and the usage of technology have become part of our lives, the company after a series of engagements with Chirano Community decided to provide the ICT Centre and Library to encourage more youths and adults to master the art of technology while at the same time improving the culture of reading”. The company he said, has also provided two more educational infrastructures at Chine and Aboduabo as part of its desire to improve upon teaching and learning to promote the man-power base with its catchment areas. “These new schools have rain water harvesting system, offices, stores, library and computer room and accesses for persons with disability in accordance with the Disability Act of 2006, Act 715”. He added. “Boreholes have also been provided by the company at Sorano, Appiahkrom, Chine and Aboduabo to augment their water needs”, He said. Mr. Norris revealed that local contractors are engaged to occasionally gravel all roads leading to the company’s sites to facilitate travelling. Last year, 170,000 US dollars was spent on road rehabilitation with three access roads leading to its sites. He revealed. He challenged the communities to shoulder the burden of ensuring that these facilities are protected from theft, destruction and improper usage.