GGM workers accuse medical centre of sub-standard services

What you need to know:

  • The workers claimed that the health centre, which has been awarded a tender by the gold mine to provide healthcare for their families, was not fulfilling its end of the deal.

Geita. Some employees of Geita Gold Mine (GGM) have complained of poor health services that are offered to their families at a local health centre.

The workers claimed that the health centre, which has been awarded a tender by the gold mine to provide healthcare for their families, was not fulfilling its end of the deal.

The condition, according to the workers, had compelled them to incur extra expenses when members of their families got treatment at other hospitals, especially when they were diagnosed with health complications that the health centre could not handle. The GGM Public Relations officer, Mr Joseph Mangilima, explained that the workers had already complained to the mine over poor health services.

He noted that plans were underway for the mine to negotiate with hospitals that were able to provide guaranteed health services to the workers’ family members.

“Competent hospitals will be contracted to provide such services to them in the future,” he said. (Geofrey Kimani)

GGM communication manager, Tenga Tenga told reporters here through telephone that hospitals in Geita Region would be prioritized when awarding the health tender. “GGM has prioritized proper health services for its workers as its policy,” he said

The chairman of the Tanzania Mines, Energy, Construction and Allied Workers Union (Tamico), GGM branch, Mr Deonatus Lusato, explained that the workers should soon expect to be provided with proper health services for their family members.

“Already the complaints are being handled by the management at the mine,” he said.

One of the workers who preferred anonymity told reporters here that they used their working identity card provided by GGM to receive health services at hospitals and not at the health center.

“Most of our family members lack health insurance services,” he said.