Two Senior Police Officers passed away this morning and their deaths are suspected to be related to non-communicable diseases.
Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho says one officer passed out as he finished a fitness test at the Nasese foreshore.
Qiliho says the officer was taking part in the 2.4km run when he collapsed upon nearing the end of the route and training instructors on site rushed the officer in a Fiji Corrections Service vehicle that was parked close by.
Qiliho adds that attempts to revive the officer at the MIOT Private Hospital were futile.
The Police Commissioner says a team from the Police Force Medical Unit were on site in a fully equipped Medical Ambulance.
Police senior officers Rusiate Tudravu and Sitiveni Qiliho training in the early hours of the morning
The second officer was admitted at the CWM Hospital and passed away this morning.
Qiliho says the unfortunate deaths of two officers this morning suspected to be NCD related, underlines the urgency in addressing the concerns he has with regards to the health of their officers as the institution is losing more than 10 police officers to NCD’s annually.
The Police Commissioner also revealed that into the first two months of this year they have recorded 7 police deaths, 5 of which were directly linked to NCD’s.
Qiliho adds that for the periods from 2016 to 2018, 48 police deaths were recorded, of which 43 deaths were directly linked to NCD’s.
Qiliho also stressed that as the head of the Fiji Police Force he wants to address the health of Police Officers through the Health Audits and Required Fitness Level Tests so that they are able to live life beyond retirement.
He has also reiterated that NCD’s are becoming a real threat to the health of Police Officers and he will not stop from conducting the Required Fitness Tests and the mandatory health audits within the institution if it leads to a healthier Police Force.
