By Jack Adom
Located on the northern side of the Obuasi Mine is the 50 -year Edwin Cade Memorial Hospital, otherwise known as Obuasi Mine Hospital. It prides itself as the biggest medical facility behind the Komfo Anokye Hospital in Ashanti Region and serves more than 500 patients a day, mainly AngloGold Ashanti employees and dependents and patents from the Obuasi and the Adansi communities.
The delivery of quality medical services at the facility was nearly crippled recently when activities of cable stealing – gangs in the municipality criminally vandalized the power system which ensure the free flow of water to the communities and the hospital. The hospital is back in full swing and patients are trooping back in numbers, as a 72 – year Mrs. Oduro, who have patronized the hospital for 32 years said ?the facility is our last resort?.
It was against this background that that Mr Frederick Attakumah, the Managing Director of Obuasi Mine was full of commendation for the managers and other employees of the Edwin Cade Hospital when he visited the facility recently. He commended them on five strides ? quality of service being delivered; patient care and effiency drive in the hospital, team work among the employees and their enthusiasm and determination to transform the hospital as the leading brand in the country. He said to employees – ?you have done tremendous work not only to the company but to the people in the communities as well?.
He said in spite of challenges, which weighed the facility down in the past, ?you have demonstrated to all your statekholders, including the management of AngloGold Ashanti that with the right support and right resource, you are successfully turning your weakness and threats to opportunities for the benefit of all. Mr Attakumah urged them to use the Christmas festivities to take critical stock of these achievements and enter the new year more determined to continuously improve the processes and optimize the facility in order to attract more patients from the communities and even beyond.
Responding Mr Richard Cromwell, the hardworking and unassuming Manager of the facility, congratulated management for its support in the expansion and modernisation of the hospital, saying ?without AngloGold Ashanti?s support we would not have been where we are now?.
The facility currently has, among others, ultra-audio equipment, new pharmacy and laboratory block, rescue department and budget for further modernisation of the hospital for next, thanks to management. ?This has put us in good stead to extend our services to more people in the communities?, Mr Crowell said.
The facility has taken on the deadly and deadly Ebola with the training of more than 50 medical volunteers with the municipal directorate of heath with view to creating more awareness. It is also funding more awareness via he media on the disease. The project is targeted to benefit more than 240,000 people resident in the municipality and its surrounding environs.
