Rwanda National Police

Police in Rutsiro District have intercepted assorted medical equipment stolen from Kayove health center.

They were seized on Thursday from the alleged thief identified as Jean Damascene Ngiruwonsanga, a medical worker at the same health centre.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Innocent Gasasira, the Police spokesperson for Western region, said that Ngiruwonsanga was arrested at a Police checkpoint in Bunyunju, Kivumu Sector.

"On Thursday morning at about 6am, Police officers at checkpoint stopped Ngiruwonsanga, who was riding a motorcycle with registration number RB151U carrying boxes of assorted medical equipment," CIP Gasasira said.

"He tried to argue that he got the medical equipment from Murunda hospital and was taking them to Nyakiriba health center, which the management at the two health facilities dismissed," he added.

"We later learnt that he is a medical worker at Kayove health center, and when the management there checked, they found that the same quantity of medical equipment and their exact codes had been taken from their store."

Among the medical equipment recovered from Ngiruwonsanga include HIV and combo tests, 13 cartons of gloves and cartons of needles.

CIP Gasasira wondered how "people charged with the healthcare of the people, instead endanger their lives."

"These are unethical acts and criminal in nature, which create loopholes in the health system, and must be reported and fought by everyone," CIP Gasasira said