HEALTH TEAM STARTED AWARENESS TO GOLD RIDGE COMMUNITIES

The tailings dam at the Gold Ridge mine. Photo credit: Pacific Scoop.

A team from the Health Promotion Department within the Ministry of health and Medical Services begins its awareness programs at the Gold Ridge downstream communities.

Sister In-charge at the Good Samaritan Hospital Daly Roho confirms to SIBC News who visited the downstream communities yesterday.

The communities say they are unaware of the Tailings dam spillage until they suffer the effects of the high level of arsenic and cyanide in the river.

Meanwhile, a downstream community member near Matepono River Mr. John Taniniau told SIBC News, they are now suffering from unusual sicknesses and other effects after using their river.

“Even when you went into the river to wash, you’ll experience itching effects and just over the weekend my wife experienced high fever which I suspected must be the effect of the river because after she came out of the water the she started to feel the fever.”