Kumba Iron Oreās Kolomela- and Sishen mines are staying true to the company values of care during the COVID-19 lockdown period by extending support to protect the health and wellbeing of their employees, contractors and host communities.
āWe have launched the WeCare programme that is aimed at providing support to our employees, contractors, and our host communities and brief the much needed relief during this period.
Through WeCare programme, we facilitate behavioural change that will continually help our people to understand what to do during the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme encourages our people to protect themselves from getting the virus, monitor their health to pick up early symptoms, and to manage their health should they test positive for Corona virus.
WeCare programme includes issuing Monitor Myself Care Packs to all our +14,000 employees, contractors and their households, as well as to over 5,000 identified vulnerable community households,ā said Lihle Sibiya, Public Affairs Manager at Sishen.
The Monitor Myself Care packs helps with monitoring symptoms as well as general hygiene. and contain a thermometer to monitor oneās temperature, antibacterial soap, bleach, hand sanitiser, vitamin C tablets and an information leaflet with instructions on how to take oneās own temperature and where to go for help, should it be required. These packs will be issued every two weeks for the next three months.
Kumba will work in collaboration with the Provincial Social Development Department as well as the local Municipalities to distribute the packs directly to the identified vulnerable community households. In addition, the company will be distributing bulk sanitisers to the local hospitals and clinics.
WeCare also includes mental health support for dealing with rapid change, working remotely and the challenges of living in lockdown and isolation.
Kumbaās WeCare community initiatives include the provision of water to some informal settlements around our mines and relief food parcels. In addition, increasing access to healthcare through making the UGM Wellness clinic in Kathu available for screening and testing for employees and the surrounding communities; increasing screening, testing, bed capacity and overflow tent structures at Postmasburg District Hospital to deal with any COVID-19 cases.
āWorking with the department of health, the company has also identified quarantine and isolation facilities that will serve the greater Tsantsabane and Gamagara municipal areas. Testing, quarantine and isolation medical and other personnel will also be allocated to the facilities,ā said George Benjamin, Public Affairs manager at Kolomela
Critical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as surgical masks, gloves, disposable gowns, thermometers, screening have been distributed to the Kuruman and Postmasburg Hospitals.
Kumba acquired the first Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing machine which, can be used remotely to test and release results in 24 hours without going to a laboratory.
We plan to set up these laboratories to support this PCR machine. Kumba also donated eight Infrared Thermo Scanners to Tsantsabane and John Taolo Gaetsewe Municipalities to assist the Health Care and South African Police Service with testing thus enabling quick mass screening. Kumba is now working with the department of health to train volunteers as tracers and screeners as part of the mass screening programme.
The company ordered medical equipment including ventilators, respirators, blood gas masks, hospital beds to prepare hospitals in the province for ICU and High Care patients. The company will also avail emergency services and mental health care services to communities through FAMSA, LOVELIFE and TADS.
We urge everyone to take personal responsibility for adhering to all infection prevention
measures so that we can collectively keep our families and company COVID-19 free for as long
as possible.
