KAMPALA — In support of the annual Nkozi Marathon, Centenary Bank has extended a financial contribution of UGX 10 million to facilitate the construction of an Accident, Injury and Trauma centre at Nkozi Hospital.
At the handover event of the dummy cheque to the Nkozi hospital team, Centenary Bank Managing Director Fabian Kasi said Centenary Bank has been part of the Nkozi Run fundraising right from inception in 2016.
“We have participated in all events concerning the establishment of the Accident Ward at Nkozi Hospital including charity walks, car wash and other fundraising drives, he said adding that “the unprecedented times have changed the way we operate and carryout activities, but nevertheless our pledge towards this noble cause still stands.
Mr Kasi also noted that Centenary Bank has always placed priority on transforming lives of individuals in communities where it has operations across the Country, and one of the ways through which this has been manifested is through the deliberate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program which is executed countrywide, where the bank sets aside 1% of the previous year’s net profit to support CSR activities, which are mainly categorized in Education, Health, Church, and the community as a whole.
The Bank has so far contributed a total of UGX 50 million since the start of the fundraising in 2016.
According to a preliminary research report by Makerere University School of Public Health released in 2019, about 9,000 people perish in road traffic accidents annually in Uganda, which was attributed to over-speeding, use of alcohol, and based on where the accidents happened, these were the major driving factors for the accidents.
While receiving the dummy cheque at Centenary Bank head Office at Mapeera House, Vicar General Msgr. Kalumba, the Vice Chairperson fundraising Committee], Nkozi Hospital said that, “We appreciate Centenary Bank’s continued support towards the annual Nkozi Run and the hand extended to us for all related initiatives over the years, and we believe this support will go a long way in facilitating the construction of the Accident Ward at Nkozi Hospital”.
“We acknowledge that the Pandemic is here and we must take caution, however accidents are still happening of which facilities are needed to offer the requisite medical attention to the causalities, Sr. Teddy, the Hospital Administrator commented.
She said that, unlike in the past where people could convene and fundraise towards the Accident Ward at Nkozi, through the charity drive, “the new normal cannot allow us to exercise all these, but we continue to thank all the different partners who have every now and again rendered the much needed support.”