Grand Cape Mount County – The Management of Bea Mountain has joined Liberia’s effort to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, collaborating with Grand Cape Mount County administration to carry out several donations of anti-COVID-19 materials in the county.
The distributions targeted communities, security checkpoints, hospital, clinics and the county’s main correctional facility.
On April 2, the management of the mining company was joined by the county Superintendent, the head of county’s joint security, various district commissioners as they distributed hand washing materials.
The distribution began at the Bo waterside checkpoint — Liberia’s main border with Sierra Leone — and continued to the Tienii Checkpoint, Gbah Checkpoint, Klay Checkpoint and later at the Sinje Health Center.
From April 3-6, the company also distributed hand washing materials to scores of other towns in the county including Kinjor, Geda, Wainkor, Kpenejee, Small Gbarnga, Knaga, Sinje mosque as well as Kpai, Benda, Monqure and Somiah towns.
On Saturday, 4 April, Mafa, Buluma, Bangomah, Mano, Deiah, Wan kora, Korbolor, Memema, Fonoia and Cooper town were amongst several other towns that received their share of the hand washing materials.
And then on Sunday and Monday (April 5 and 6), Gbama town, Sawmill checkpoint, Jawajeh, Blain, Baima, Momoh, Jenneh Brown, Mecca , , Balama, Todemeh, Lofa Bridge, Sand Beach and Weahka towns were also supplied with the anti-COVID-19 materials.
The transport union office in the county, the major public hospital in Robersport city and the prison compound were also beneficiaries of the hand washing material donated by Bea Mountain.
According to the company, 100 pieces of buckets, nine pieces of thermometers, and other detergent products were some of the items distributed across Grand Cape Mount County.
At the start of the county-wide distribution, County Superintendent Hon. Aaron B. Vincent thanked the management of Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) for its “timely intervention most especially in this health crisis” that has plagued the world.
He also promised to ensure that all communities follow the World Health Organization and the Government of Liberia health preventive measures.
Superintendent Vincent then called on security personnel assigned at border points to report all illegal persons entering Liberia, noting that the countries has poor border entry points where security officers are not assigned.
At the same time, he called on the Management of BMMC to augment the work of the Joint security patrol team by providing logistical support most especially fuel to enable them monitor the illegal border points.
For her part, Dr. Necee Joe, the County Health Officer, lauded the company for “the timely intervention” in providing the buckets, thermometer and other hand washing materials to the Sinje health center and the main government-run hospital in the county.
Dr. Joe promised that health workers will use the materials wisely “for patients and others coming in and out of the facilities daily”.
However, she urged the company to “do more, because government does not have enough funding to provide equipment to fight the coronavirus”.
Saxon S. Tambo, the head of the Joint Security in the county, while thanking the management of BMMC, mentioned that the materials will help officers at the border to enforce all preventive measures approved by the government and the WHO.
He called on development partners and the Government to provide more hand washing materials to all border points, adding that the county has 52 border entry points with only five recognized as legal border points.
With the distribution of the thermometers, security officers at various checkpoints have begun conducting temperature checks of commuters while the county police commander have mandated that all passengers should be ordered to disembarked their vehicles and wash their hands at every checkpoint.
Meanwhile, The Community Relations Department with support from BMMC conducted COVID-19 awareness in and around Grand Cape Mount County with over 60 communities reached.
BMMC says it is also buttressing the Government’s efforts to stop the pandemic by sensitizing communities through community engagements and radio talk shows.
The management says it is continuing with the distribution of the hand washing materials.