Melcom to provide psychological assistance to affected staff

Melcom Company says it has put in measures to ensure staff, who survived the deadly incident of its collapsed Achimota branch building, receive the needed psychological therapy to enable them resume normal duties.

“Our Human Resource Department is working on getting the services of psychologists who would offer counseling sessions to affected staff when they resume work to allay their fears and also ensure that the unfortunate incident would in no way affect their lives psychologically”, said Mr Richmond Oduro Kwarteng, Public Relations officer, Melcom Group of companies told the press on Monday.

He pledged the company’s commitment towards the wellbeing of the affected people, adding that its Human Resource Department was in constant touch with the bereaved families on how best the company could assist in making things easier and less stressful for them as far as issues relating the death of their relations was concerned.

He debunked an allegation made by Nana Nkansah Boadu, owner of the building, which used to house the Achimota branch of the company, that Melcom was using the place as a warehouse.

“We never used the building as a warehouse as we have six warehouses just two kilometers away from our Achimota branch, and would in no way, use the place as a warehouse,” he said.

He said the company had contracted the services of engineers to ascertain the strength of all buildings used by Melcom but were not built by them.

On 7th November 2012, the six storey building, which used to house the Achimota branch of the company, collapsed suddenly around 0945 hours trapping an unspecified number of people.

A rescue team comprising, the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghana Police Service, the National Disaster Management Organisation and the Ghana National Fire Service managed to rescue 68 people alive while 14 deaths were recorded.