The Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) is strengthening healthcare support for its employees, their dependants and surrounding communities following the reopening of its clinic at Tema Community 4 after more than 15 years out of operation.
The reopening is part of the company’s broader employee welfare and community support programme, with VALCO now considering proposals to transform the facility into a 110-bed specialist hospital.
Chairman of the VALCO Board, Ambassador Horace Nii Ayi Ankrah, said proposals were currently being considered to develop the reopened clinic into a modern healthcare facility capable of providing specialist and comprehensive medical services.
“We have that vision, and we have some proposals on our table that we are looking at to make sure that this place is transformed into a 110-bed hospital that would have all the necessary specialists on board,” Ambassador Ankrah said.
He said the proposed hospital would be developed into a first-class healthcare centre capable of responding to a wide range of medical needs of VALCO employees, their families and members of surrounding communities.
According to him, the company intends to engage the relevant authorities as plans for the project progress.
“I’m certain that with the proposals that we’re having, very soon we will see the Minister and the President making sure that the sword is cut and then VALCO has something to give to the public,” he said.
The proposed hospital would represent a significant expansion of VALCO’s approach to employee welfare while creating an opportunity for the company to extend healthcare services beyond its workforce.
Focus on occupational health
Beyond providing general medical services, VALCO’s healthcare team is also focused on preventing occupational health risks associated with the aluminium smelting environment.
Chief Medical Officer of VALCO, Dr Bernard Nii Torgbor, said the medical team works closely with the company’s safety function to protect employees against potential workplace hazards.
He explained that preventive healthcare remained central to the company’s medical strategy, particularly because of the nature of activities within the aluminium industry.
This includes ensuring that employees use appropriate personal protective equipment and that workplace hazards identified during operations are promptly reported and addressed.
The collaboration between the medical and safety teams, he said, is intended to reduce occupational health risks and ensure that employees remain healthy and productive.
The reopening of the Tema Community 4 clinic provides a renewed foundation for VALCO’s healthcare delivery, particularly for employees and their dependants.
The proposed 110-bed specialist hospital, meanwhile, signals the company’s longer-term ambition to establish more comprehensive healthcare infrastructure that could also serve surrounding communities.
The initiative forms part of VALCO’s wider efforts to strengthen employee welfare and create an environment in which its workforce can remain healthy and productive.
As the company considers the next phase of the project, the proposed hospital could become a significant addition to healthcare infrastructure in the Tema area while reinforcing VALCO’s commitment to the wellbeing of its employees and communities within its operational environment.
Source: businesspostonline
