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Anglo Gold Ashanti Mine donates hospital as possible quarantine site

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Anglo Gold Ashanti Mine has donated Westvaal Hospital in Orkney to the North West provincial government as a possible quarantine site to treat COVID-19 infected patients.

The hospital has a capacity of 270 beds, but government will only use 150 beds during this period. Other private facilities such guest houses and government lodges have also been identified as possible quarantine sites.

Westvaal Hospital, which has not been in operation for the last two years, is now a fully fledged facility with an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). It also has all the medical amenities and linen.

Anglo Gold Mine says it has donated the facility in response to the call by the President for all, including private sector, to contribute in helping to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“We decided to donate this hospital to government as response to a call by the president that citizens and private sector must respond in the prevention and the arresting of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is largely because we recognise that this pandemic is serious it need to be arrested. We need to flatten the curve and we need to work in partnership with government by all means,” says Vice President for Anglo Gold Ashanti Mine, Kgomotso Tshaka.

When responding on behalf of his government, Premier Job Mokgoro said this good gesture by Anglo Ashanti would enable them to respond fully to the pandemic .

” The contribution would have not come at the better time we are confronted by this man called COVID-19 so we really appreciate that it would add to our capacity and capability to respond.”

MEC for Health Madoda Sambatha says the donation is in line with the Mining Charter.

“This is what necessarily the mining charter stipulates on the role of the industry in communities where they are mining. Anglo has just complied with the requirements of the mining charter on the hosting communities and in terms of their social and labour plans, we are happy for the donation.”

In the video below, Sambatha says the province is ready should there be more cases in the province:

Meanwhile, the health department reports that since it started with its mass screening campaign on Monday, it has so far screened over 100 000 people for COVID-19.

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