Health services have received a welcome boost through public donations, with the cash to be used for vital equipment during the pandemic.
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The Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation on Friday gave cheques to North East hospitals totalling more than $4581.
State-of-the-art thermometers will be bought at Albury, Wodonga and Wangaratta hospitals, allowing temperatures to be checked in real time while maintaining social distancing.
Albury Wodonga Health chief executive Michael Kalimnios said the donation had come at a good time as coronavirus cases rose.
"With the resurgence of COVID-19 in Melbourne and the issue of that potentially spreading up here, we've very keen to increase our screening capacity and our monitoring capacity for both patients and staff to make sure we keep safe," he said.
"This is very timely for us and will be put to good use."
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Blue Ribbon branch president Graeme Simpfendorfer said the fundraiser had exceeded expectations.
"It's a fantastic result for us in the North East," he said.
"There has been about $4500 raised to help with what we're all dealing with.
"It's an amazing effort from our community and we're really happy to be a part of it."
The money was raised through donations and the sale of police bears.
Donors chose which hospitals the funding would go towards and donations continue to be accepted.
Albury hospital received $2020, Wodonga hospital $1185, and North East Health $973.
Health providers at Yarrawonga, Myrtleford, Benalla and Mansfield each received $100.
The organisation had appealed for donations in March and donations can still be made to Blue Ribbon.
North East Health interim chief executive Tim Griffiths said such donations were "absolutely critical".
"In terms of the pandemic, screening of staff and services is of the utmost importance in the detection of COVID-19," he said.
"This state of the art thermometer will give us a leg up in terms of that detection. It detects patients' temperatures every second which will be amazing and it's technology we probably haven't seen in the region."
