General News
18 February, 2024
Medical boost thanks to generous donors
THANKS to the generosity of locals, more than $140,000 of donated medical equipment has begun arriving at South West Healthcare’s Camperdown Hospital.
The equipment includes a $43,000 foetal monitor and a tonsillectomy coblation system some of the bigger Melbourne hospitals don’t yet have.
Three new patient trolleys for the operating theatre – together worth $60,000 – along with a $20,000 patient trolley for the urgent care centre and the $3,000 12-month hire of a virtual-reality SmileyScope for hospitalised children are also part of the new arrivals.
And according to South West Healthcare’s community partnerships manager Suzan Morey, this much-needed medical ‘boost’ could not have been possible without the joint efforts of individuals and groups from across the western district.
“We are so grateful to these donors, and their supporters, who have worked really hard to raise $140,860 for us to purchase this new medical equipment,” Ms Morey said.
“To be able to buy our first-ever coblation system, update our foetal monitor and four patient trolleys, buy a treatment chair for our urgent care centre’s isolation room, and hire a SmileyScope for our younger patients – all through donations – shows the incredible generosity of the local communities we live and work in.”
Funded by members of the SWH Camperdown and District Hospital Auxiliary, a foetal monitor electronically records the heartbeat of an unborn baby and the contractions of their mum during labour.
It provides a critical insight into the level of stress the baby is under during labour and birth.
The tonsillectomy coblation system will be shared between theatres at Warrnambool and Camperdown.
“Our Warrnambool auxiliary, together with the Murray2Moyne Cycle Relay team, Findex, and the Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Bowls Club have all contributed towards this new system which is just amazing,” Ms Morey said.
“This newer type of tonsillectomy surgery is known to cause less pain than the traditional method, reduces the risk of bleeding and providers a quicker recovery.”
Post-coblation, younger patients are frequently eating a normal diet within a few days and are often back at kinder/school a week after surgery rather than a fortnight later.
“This reduction in recovery time is a huge benefit for parents having to take time off work,” Ms Morey said.
At a cost of $3,000 per unit to hire on a 12-month basis, the SmileyScope goggles take children on virtual-reality adventures to relieve stress and anxiety during their medical procedures.
Looking through the goggles, children can swim with seals, snuggle kittens at cat cafes and relax under a starry sky.
Used in leading children’s hospitals both in Australia and the United States, South West Healthcare trialled one in its paediatric unit (and one in the emergency department paediatrics treatment room) last year and had great success.
“They are fantastic as a distraction for children undergoing procedures involving needles in particular,” paediatric unit nurse at Warrnambool Sophie Weir said.
“Kids who have been anxious have often become more relaxed and have really enjoyed the adventures through the goggles.”
