The Broken Hill community are to benefit from a donation of nearly $160,000 from the Broken Hill Hospital Kiosk volunteers.
The donation, presented to Julie Manoel, Director Nursing and Midwifery and General Manager Broken Hill Health Service, will be used by the hospital to purchase equipment to improve the patient experience.
“On behalf of the Broken Hill Health Service and communities across the Far West LHD, I thank all the volunteers and the Kiosk Auxiliary for their generous donation,” Ms Manoel said.
“The donations will be used to buy equipment that can be used across the hospital to supplement the care provided by our outstanding staff.”
Generous donation: (from left) Michelle Murphy - Nurse Unit Manager Specialist Clinic, Julie Manoel - Director Nursing and Midwifery and General Manager Broken Hill Health Service, Betty Sammut - Kiosk Auxiliary President, Ellen Turner - Kiosk Volunteer, Debbie Cullen - Kiosk Volunteer, Chelsea Anderson - Clinical Midwife Consultant, Tanya Haring - Ophthalmology Clinical Nurse Specialist.
The money, donated for the 2022-23 financial year, will support the hospital to purchase medical equipment for Maternity, Ophthalmology, as well as general hospital wards.
Tanya Haring, Ophthalmology Clinical Nurse Specialist said the eye clinic would benefit from the new Tonometer as it will mean increased capability in the Specialist Clinics and will also support improved patient care.
The new instrument can measure intraocular eye pressure in patients in either a sitting or lying down position, allowing us to test individuals who previously were unable to get to the machine.
Tonometers are used daily in routine observation and screening for glaucoma. It is a device that does not require anaesthetic eye drops and is quick, hygienic, reliable and comfortable for all patients.
Maternity will also benefit from three resuscitation beds available in all Birthing Rooms and in the Special Care Nursery in case a newborn baby needs support to breath at birth or requires extra midwifery or medical attention during the admission.
The general medical wards will also benefit from the addition of three devices which will help to map a patient veins using infrared, helping reduce pain for patients and make it easier for medical staff to access veins. These wards will also receive five acute care beds as well a new vital signs monitor.
Melanie Chynoweth, interim Kiosk Auxiliary Public Officer, said the previous significant donation by the Kiosk Auxiliary was $125,000 for the 2020-21 financial year, which also helped the health service purchase equipment.
Kiosk Auxiliary is always looking for volunteers and asks anyone interested in volunteering to contact 0499 857 743 or 0400 183 146.
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