Mwanza police offer aid to Bugando patients
MWANZA: MWANZA Regional Police Force has donated medical supplies and health insurance to patients admitted to Bugando Zonal Referral Hospital as part of efforts to strengthen community policing and support vulnerable groups.
The assistance was presented over the weekend by Mwanza Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Wilbrod Mutafungwa, to patients receiving treatment for road traffic accident injuries.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, DCP Mutafungwa said the initiative reflects the Police Force’s commitment to compassion, community service and strengthening relations with the public through community policing programmes.
He said police officers first visited the hospital to assess the patients’ needs before mobilising voluntary contributions from officers serving in the Mwanza Regional Police Force to purchase medical supplies and health insurance.
“We are grateful for the warm reception and cooperation extended by the management of Bugando Hospital, which enabled us to reach patients in need,” he said.
DCP Mutafungwa said supporting vulnerable groups has long been part of the Police Force’s community policing strategy, noting that the latest outreach targeted patients admitted to the referral hospital, particularly victims of road traffic accidents.
He also commended Bugando Hospital’s doctors, nurses and other health workers for their dedication to providing quality healthcare services, especially to patients facing financial difficulties.
The Regional Police Commander expressed concern over the increasing number of road traffic accidents, saying they continue to claim lives and rob the nation of its productive workforce, particularly young people.
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He said the Police Force will continue to enforce traffic laws while intensifying road safety education to curb accidents.
“Preventing road accidents is a shared responsibility, but road users have the greatest role to play. If motorists, motorcyclists and pedestrians obey traffic laws and exercise greater caution, accidents will decline significantly,” he said.
Receiving the donation on behalf of the hospital’s Director General, the Director of Surgical Services at Bugando Zonal Referral Hospital, Dr Samsoni Chacha, thanked the Mwanza Regional Police Force for its generosity and continued support.
He said the medical supplies, purchased through voluntary contributions from police officers, would ease the burden on patients undergoing treatment and appealed to members of the public to support vulnerable groups according to their ability.
Some beneficiaries welcomed the assistance, saying the donated items, particularly crutches, would help them continue treatment and regain mobility more quickly
