FQM hands over Covid-19 isolation facility

FIRST Quantum Minierals (FQM) has taken the corporate social responsibility a step further by boosting the Government’s fight against the spread of Covid-19 with the handover of an isolation facility in Solwezi. Kansanshi Mining assistant general manager John Gladston said the mining firm remains committed to ensuring their employees, families and the community they operate in have improved access to healthcare. FQM Kansanshi Mining Plc handed over to government part of the Solwezi School of Nursing which it has converted into a Covid-19 isolation facility at a cost of US$85,300.The mining company also handed over an assortment of personal protective equipment, medical equipment, surgical masks and gloves, refrigerators, beds, blankets and linen altogether worth US$120,000, bringing the total value of the handover to US$205,300.“There is more COVID-19 testing equipment to be handed over to government by Kansanshi, which will bring the total spend to more than US$400,000 – way above the US$120,000 the company  pledged towards the fight against COVID-19,” said Mr Gladston.Receiving the donation behalf of the Government, North Western Provincial Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu paid tribute to First Quantum Minerals and Kansanshi Mining Plc in particular, for being a reliable all weather friend of Zambia that has consistently taken care of the communities surrounding the mine through its corporate social responsibility programme. He urged other corporate bodies to emulate the good work being undertaken by Kansanshi and implored the beneficiaries of the Isolation Facility to guard the infrastructure and accompanying equipment jealously, as the assets were intended to help the fight against theCOVID-19 pandemic.The Provincial Minister also said he was aware of the fact that Kansanshi Mining Plc had imported a GeneXpert COVID-19 testing machine and 10,000 test kits which would be housed by Solwezi General Hospital. He hailed this move by Kansanshi and said the machine would be a game-changer as all samples collected from suspected cases of COVID-19 in the North Western Province would be tested from Solwezi, thereby speeding up the process. FQM has spent over US$440,000 (K8 million) to complement government’s multi-sectoral approach to fighting COVID-19 in communities surrounding its mining operations in the Kalumbila and Solwezi districts of North-Western Province.The mining firm has put in place contingency plans to deal with the virus by further strengthening clinical healthcare facilities and stepping up prevention awareness in the province. – LANGMEAD. The Sun