Blog Celebrating Our Heroes

 

Heroes come in many forms, at Golden Star Resources our COVID 19 response of preventing and protecting our employees, their families and communities has been made possible by our colleagues whom we call heroes. Their actions and total devotion to duty is in keeping with our values of collaboration, caring, fairness, honesty and respect.

This month’s blog features Golden Star Heroes who have positively contributed to our COVID 19 responses;  

Dr Solomon Dowdall, Chief Medical Officer Int. SOS

Dr Solomon is an illustration of those health workers whose selfless acts, compassion and service go beyond what is required of them. Forfeiting his scheduled leave, Dr Solomon has been working throughout this pandemic at our Bogoso and Prestea Clinics.

He is a member of the GSR Emergency Management Team (EMT), where he offers direction from a medical point of view. In addition to his regular consultation with patients, he also provides education and guidance on how to reduce risk of contracting the virus.  He has progressively advanced his control, and preventive methods from the primary screening of our stakeholders to enhanced screening methods to achieve zero COVID-19 fatalities within the workforce.

Samuel Kyei, Head of Cleaning Unit Int. SOS   

Some heroes are visible others are hidden. Samuel Kyei is one of the hidden heroes. This hero makes sure the patients’ rooms stay sanitised and safe. He is always cleaning and sanitising every item in each room as well as the general clinic work area. His job is extremely important as clinics are classified as hotspots.

“When I come to work, I put on my protective equipment, and I sanitise and clean everything. This is my contribution toward the fight against COVID-19” he said. Samuel’s efforts have been crucial in protecting protecting our people from infection and saving lives.

Golden Star thanks you and celebrates your contribution in our fight against COVID-19.

                                                      

Monica Amelewosi Amanda Siaw, Physician Assistant Int. SOS

As COVID-19 changes our world, we rely on our medical community to care for us and our loved ones more than ever.

Amanda has been working throughout this pandemic at the Prestea underground operations Clinic. Amanda extensively educated the employees on COVID-19, and this has helped to demystify the many myths around the pandemic.

“I almost became a nuisance to a few,” she said. Her persistence and dedication to her work played a crucial role in controlling the spread of COVID -19 cases among the workforce.

 

Shaddrack Adjetey Sowah, GSWL Managing Director

Shaddrack, our MD at Wassa , who also chairs the  Emergency Management Team at GSWL has made several tough calls which translated in our Wassa mine being one of the last mining Companies in Ghana to record a positive COVID-19 case earlier this year. He continues to make decisions which have helped to manage and control the spread of the virus.  These include; initiating mine-wide lockdowns; providing and equipping essential support services to facilitate employees to work from home where applicable; disinfecting chambers at entrances to the mine; as well as creating a temporary holding centre to accommodate at least 35 people. In addition, he has provided additional buses to enhance social distancing in the transportation of workers. He continues to supply alcohol-based hand sanitisers for employees and masks to the communities. Above all, he was at the forefront in the fight against stigmatisation.

Shaddrack has pledged this continuous assistance for as long as the pandemic persists.

         

Onesimus Ebo Blankson, Maintainer        

Onesimus and his team observed a possible route of contamination when multiple employees used their hands to lift the lids of refuse bins.  He suggested a solution; to retrofit dustbins with a foot pedals to eliminate the potential transfer of the virus through hand contact with the bins. It is on this basis that suggestions from others regarding floor markings, door foot pedals, company manufacturing of alcohol-based hand sanitisers were also given prominence as preventive measures in Golden Star to manage the spread of COVID 19.

Well done, Onesimus for your insight and poactive thinking which has inspired others.

 

Philipa Varris, Executive Vice President, Head of Sustainability

Golden Star has been proactively implementing controls to limit the risk associated with the coronavirus pandemic.  As our knowledge of COVID-19 evolves, Golden Star Crisis Management Team (CMT) continues to develop our Guidelines and update our Epidemic and Pandemic Management Plans for GSR operations and communities. Philipa is a member of the CMT, who were tasked with managing the response to the pandemic. Philipa has helped implement access to mental health and wellbeing programs which support people whilst they are working from home.

Philipa, who is also a member of the EMT, has passionately contributed to keeping employees and host communities safe through shared information, guidance and donations.  These have manifested in the development of management systems such as, leadership guidance documents; to support departmental communications. She initiated targeted training for at-risk personnel, while working closely with Golden Star’s partners for integrated management of COVID-19 controls. Philipa also proposed the modification of two vehicles for transporting suspected COVID 19 patients to appropriate centres.

 

George Amankwah-Kumi, Group & Community Health Coordinator

George, our Group & Community Health Coordinator has contributed enormously to the controls and Management of COVID-19 in Golden Star and its catchment communities.

He expertly coordinated a complex chain of activities including awareness creation through education and distribution of donations for the purchase of PPE. He also supervised the renovations of holding/isolation centres in both GSWL and GSBPL. George was the main liaison between Golden Star Resources and external stakeholders, including the Ghana Health Service. Currently, George is coordinating Golden Star’s COVID-19 anti-stigmatisation campaign. 

 

We are indeed proud of our colleagues for all the work they have done and continue to do. You are indeed the Golden Stars who live the Golden Star way.

Ayekoo!

We thank you