JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Randgold Resources CEO Mark Bristow has lauded the “high level of alertness and careful planning” by the Malian authorities that enabled the government to act swiftly to identify, treat and contain the country's first confirmed case of Ebola.
Randgold owns and operates the Morila, Loulo and Gounkoto gold mines, in Mali.
A young girl that had come to Mali from elsewhere in West Africa started presenting Ebola-like symptoms on October 21, after which she was quarantined, while healthcare workers involved in her case were put under observation.
The presence of the virus was confirmed on October 23, and the girl died in hospital a day later.
“To date, some 50 people have been quarantined and the investigation is continuing. We are assured by the administrators that the situation is under control and we will obviously continue to monitor it closely.
“We are in close touch with Mali's national director of health and the regional health director, as well as with the relevant nongovernment organisations (NGOs) and the other members of the Ebola Private Sector Mobilisation Group,” Bristow said in a statement.
Randgold had, meanwhile, mobilised a “major” campaign to safeguard its employees and host communities against Ebola, he said.
A crisis management team comprising the senior medical officers of all Randgold operations had been appointed to spearhead the campaign.
In addition, the group's chief medical officer Dr Haladou Manirou had joined the Ebola Private Sector Mobilisation Group, which was coordinating the private sector's response.
"Our crisis team meets weekly and is also in constant contact with our host governments, the World Health Organisation and other NGOs who are monitoring the situation to ensure that we are fully up to speed with the state of the epidemic and the measures being taken to contain it.
"We have integrated our own prevention programme with those of our host countries and equipped all our sites with Ebola personal protective equipment, disinfection kits, mobile isolation units and contactless temperature monitors. We have trained our own medical staff, as well as the personnel from the local health centres, in the identification and treatment of suspected cases,” he outlined.
Randgold was also continuing an intensive drive to sensitise its employees, as well as the surrounding communities, to the manifestation and treatment of Ebola symptoms through daily face-to-face updates, radio broadcasts and a 24-hour hotline.