Ramu NiCo donated medicines worth of thousands of Kina to the Kurumbukari Mine’s neighboring Enaquai Village Clinic in the Special Mining Lease (SML) area through its ongoing Community Development Fund (CDF) scheme on Sunday 7th of January 2024.
The medicine request was made late last year (2023) by the Kurumbukari Landowners Association (KBK LOA) to Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Limited (RNML).
RNML Community Affairs (CA) Deputy General Manager Mr. Albert Tobe said the KBK LOA made a really good decision to purchase vital medicines for the local people through the CDF scheme.
He said Ramu NiCo also delivered quarterly medicines to clinics along the project corridor under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOA) which had been enough in the past due to low population at KBK neighboring villages.
“The current population of the villages increased rapidly, and the medicines provided quarterly by RNML were not enough to cater for needs of the local villagers,” Tobe said.
He said the clinic now had enough medicines and would provide good service for the local people’s health.
KBK LOA Deputy Chairman Mr. John Tigavu said the clinic had served the people of Banu, Enaquai and other neighboring communities since the mine operated with quarterly medical assistance from RNML.
He said the CDF scheme was not stated in its MOA, but rather a willing program that Ramu NiCo did to assist communities along the project corridor when it first started in 2019.
“Under this scheme the KBK LOA has been sponsoring students to institutions throughout the country, building classrooms and aid posts, purchasing vital medicines and constructing roads for communities in KBK neighboring areas,” Tigavu said.
He urged everyone in Enaquai and neighboring communities to take responsibility of their services and keep nice social environment for RNML’s development.
Enaquai Village Clinic Officer Incharge Mr. Kop Koiti said he first started working at the clinic since 2011 and until now, the clinic had been always relaying on the medicines provided by RNML. He thanked RNML for their donation and would work hard for the villagers’ health.
KBK LOA Deputy Chairman ( right / red shirt ) handing over the box containing the medicines to RNML Officer and Enaquai Clinic Officer during the presentation.