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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Communities at Nangoma and Kasensero landing site in Kyotera district have asked the Marine department of the Uganda Police to establish a rescue center in the area to enable them respond to emergencies.
The area is prone to water accidents that usually occur as fishermen seek to cross between Kasensero landing site and Nangoma peninsular which is located inside Lake Victoria on Uganda’s border with Tanzania.
Moses Sserunjogi, the LCIII Chairperson for Kasensero town council says despite having in place community rescue teams trained by police to offer emergency rescue services during water accidents, the teams are ill-equipped.
He says that the absence of proper emergency rescue facility in the area is apparently making it difficult for them to save lives of people that regularly drown between the two Islands.
A marine rescue centre is a facility in form of tower built within or close to the water shores; which is assembled with equipment that coordinate prompt response to water accidents.
Edna Kumanya, the Chairperson of Nangoma sub-county notes that besides the fishermen who earn their living from fishing, the lake is also pausing serious threats to people that regularly cross it to seek social services on the mainland.
She prefers that the Police Marine Unit puts in place a well-equipped emergency between the two Islands, which will improve capacities of the local teams to respond to water accidents and eventually prevent deaths arising from drowning.
Kumanya also asked the government to consider an ambulance for the area to facilitate easy movement of patients that seek referrals health services across the water.
Hassan Kuhanda, the Deputy Director of the Police Directorate for Fire and Rescue Services who passed out the community rescue teams says the responsible departmental heads will sit and evaluate the possibilities of responding to the cited need.
Last month, the East African Standby Force also mooted for construction of at least ten marine rescue centres at various water bodies in the region.
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