As part of its commitment to working with government at all levels and a range of other stakeholders in supporting South Africa’s fight to slow the spread of COVID-19, AngloGold Ashanti has made available two hospitals for their exclusive use as part of the frontline COVID-19 effort. These facilities will be used by the authorities in Gauteng and North West Province for the treatment and isolation of COVID-19 patients.
“The provincial health teams have worked with incredible diligence to ensure these facilities are made available to serve the public,” says Dr. Bafedile Chauke, AngloGold Ashanti’s vice president, Health. “We are pleased to work alongside the authorities in this national effort.”
The first of these is the fully equipped, 270-bed West Vaal facility near Orkney in the North West province. The second is a West Wits hospital building near Carletonville in western Gauteng, which was closed a number of years ago during restructuring of the SA Region portfolio, and its equipment donated to other healthcare facilities or non-profit organisations in the community. The building, which has capacity for almost 300 beds, is nonetheless in good condition and has the necessary oxygen piping infrastructure and other design elements needed for a fully functioning hospital. The Gauteng Department of Health is working to ensure it is fully equipped and recommissioned in the coming weeks.
This initiative is one of many by businesses across South Africa, and by mining companies in particular, to help ensure preparedness to deal with COVID-19 cases.
“AngloGold Ashanti is committed to supporting the multi-stakeholder efforts aimed to curtail the spread of the Covid-19 virus,” says Kgomotso Tshaka, vice president: Sustainability. “Apart from the hospitals, we are providing support in a range of other areas to protect those most at risk from the devastating effects of Covid-19.”
As part of its total commitment, AngloGold Ashanti has also pledged R20-million to the Solidarity Response Fund, which is an independent initiative, registered as a public benefit company and supported by business, civil society and the South African government. The fund will be used to provide rapid and targeted actions to support the healthcare sector in efforts to flatten the curve of infections and provide humanitarian support to vulnerable households and communities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has spread suffering, disrupted billions of lives, and endangered the global economy. Tackling the pandemic requires cooperation and coordination of efforts by stakeholders to ensure that resources and technology are deployed in the right way at the right time to make the biggest possible impact on controlling the pandemic and reducing the toll on human lives.
“AngloGold Ashanti and its employees, across each of its 10 operating jurisdictions on three continents, is committed to working with communities, its peers, host governments and all other stakeholders, to combat the spread of the virus and to deal with its after-effects,” says Tshaka.