Amplats' Unki concentrator plant
Platinum-group metals miner Anglo American Platinum's (Amplats') Unki mine has donated a newly equipped ten-bed intensive care unit (ICU) to Gweru provincial hospital, in Zimbabwe, as part of its efforts to limit the impact of Covid-19 at the workplace and in host communities.
The donation includes ventilators, ICU beds, oxygen equipment and the installation thereof, personal protective equipment, multiparameter monitors and other medical equipment.
The Unki mine team had previously built and equipped a casualty ward at the hospital and refurbished the laundry room and children’s ward. The establishment of the ICU forms part of Unki’s $2-million investment, to date, in Covid-19 measures.
Further, the mine’s polymerase chain reaction testing laboratory, which was recently licensed to do Covid-19 tests, is being used to test Covid-19 samples from employees, contractors and the Shurugwi district hospital.
In addition, Unki has provided food support to vulnerable groups and drilled and equipped 17 boreholes to improve access to water in the Shurugwi district.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Unki chairperson James Maposa said that, in addition to the health impact of Covid-19, the virus has had a devastating economic impact on countries around the world, and Zimbabwe is no exception.
“I believe the mining industry will have a crucial role to play in our economic recovery efforts. We will continue to play our part in supporting our employees, contractors and the broader economy.”