AngloGold Ashanti, Iduapriem Mines, has handed over a GHC 500,000 modern health centre to serve thousands of inhabitants in 21 deprived communities in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region. The beneficiary communities include Teberebe, Domeabra, Nkwantakrom, Acheampongkrom; Mile 7, Adieyie, Abompuniso, New Techiman, Timber Road; Wangarakrom, Badukrom, Nkyemia, Akyempem, Charleskrom, Benkyem, Pepesa, New Tokunaso and Huniso. Hitherto, the inhabitants struggled to access healthcare at the Tarkwa Government Hospital, more than 10 kilometres away from the nearest community. Emergency cases including women in labour and those with complications also had to struggle through a painfully slow traffic, on occasions resulting in deaths. The mainly farming communities also lack potable water, good roads and planned markets for their produce. The well-equipped health facility which also has accommodation for staff, was handed over to officials of the Ghana Health Service in the municipality on Wednesday September 18. The Managing Director of AngloGold, Iduapriem Mines, Sicelo Ntuli, said the gesture was to help the government win the fight against the complications pregnant women go through especially during labour. He promised further support for the municipality. Speaking at the handing over ceremony, the Vice-President, Corporate Affairs of the company, Mr Kwame Addo-Kufour said the provision of the facility was part of the company's commitment to support their host communities, explaining that the health of the people in the communities the company operated was important in building stronger social and community relations. He expressed the hope that the facility would help serve the communities well to ensure that the sick no longer had to cover several miles to the heart of the municipality to access healthcare. For his part, the Western Regional Minister, Mr E.K.T. Addo, welcomed the support for the community and assured that government would continue to work closely with the mining companies and communities to ensure that the industry provided opportunity for social and economic advancement and serve as a catalyst for development. Government, he said, "will continue to create the enabling environment for both local and foreign investors in order to grow the local and national economies, and generate more opportunities for all." He said government would however, not take kindly to investors who would take the communities they operate in for granted saying, "any investor both foreign and local investors who have such motives had to look elsewhere, because the state will always ensure that there is value for all in all transactions."