The Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) is strengthening healthcare support for its employees, their dependents and surrounding communities, following the reopening of its clinic at Tema Community 4 after more than 15 years out of operation.

The reopening forms part of VALCO’s broader commitment to employee welfare and community support, with the company now considering an ambitious expansion of the facility into a 110-bed specialist hospital.

VALCO Board Chairman, Ambassador Horace Nii Ayi Ankrah, said the company has proposals under consideration to transform the reopened clinic into a modern hospital equipped with specialist services to provide comprehensive healthcare to workers, their families and members of the public.

“We have that vision, and we have some proposals on our table that we are looking at to make sure that this place is transformed into a 110-bed hospital that would have all the necessary specialists on board,” Ambassador Ankrah said.

He said the proposed facility would be positioned as a first-class healthcare centre capable of responding to a broad range of medical needs, adding that VALCO intends to engage the relevant authorities as the plans progress.

“I’m certain that with the proposals that we’re having, very soon we will see the Minister and the President making sure that the sword is cut and then VALCO has something to give to the public,” he said.

The proposed hospital represents a significant step in VALCO’s approach to employee welfare, while also creating an opportunity for the company to extend quality healthcare services to communities within its operational environment.

VALCO’s medical team is also focused on preventing occupational health risks associated with the aluminium smelting environment. The company’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bernard Nii Torgbor, said the medical team works closely with the safety function to ensure that employees are adequately protected from workplace hazards.

According to him, preventive healthcare remains central to the company’s medical strategy, including ensuring that workers use appropriate personal protective equipment and that identified workplace hazards are promptly reported and addressed.

The reopening of the clinic therefore provides a renewed foundation for VALCO’s healthcare services, while the proposed 110-bed specialist hospital signals the company’s longer-term ambition to build a more comprehensive healthcare infrastructure.

The initiative complements VALCO’s wider efforts to strengthen its operations and create an environment in which its workforce can remain healthy, productive and better positioned to contribute to the company’s role in Ghana’s aluminium industry.