The 100 Mile House and District Hospital has a bunch of new equipment thanks to the South Cariboo Health Foundation.
The new additions include two lab collection carts ($3,965), linen carts ($4,600), four medications carts ($12,726) and a respiratory unit ($3,000).
“We touch just about every department in this hospital, says Brenda Devine, the public relations and fundraising co-ordinator for the South Cariboo Health Foundation. They usually work from a prioritized wishlist of things of what the hospital needs and she says it’s not often they can’t help with a request, adding that the donor list has gone up since they started in 2002.
“Not only has the donor list [gone up] but the amount of money that people are giving too.”
Many donors are listed on the wall outside the emergency room, but some big donors wish to remain anonymous, she says, adding that some of the biggest donations have come from estates.
“That whole emergency was all from a donation from an estate.”
There aren’t any big projects on the horizon at the moment, but maintaining a high standard of equipment helps with doctors’ willingness to come up and work in the South Cariboo, something the local community needs more of, she says.
The new lab carts are larger, which help reduce how often things fall on the ground, says Tina Scott
“We love it. We appreciate what [the South Cariboo Health Foundation] have done very much.”
They also went from one to two carts which provides more flexibility when it comes to serving both the emergency room and the rest of the hospital.
The new carts also move around much more easily, says Scott.The four new medication carts have room for the medications of up to six patients each with coded locks. They also lock after a few seconds automatically to make sure they’re not accidentally left open, says Teressa Allwood.
The carts will save nurses time by not having to walk back and forth to the locked medication section, she says.
“They can do the rounds without going back and forth,” she says, adding that it, most importantly, reduces errors and gives them a work station.
The tops of the carts adjust to the desired height for each nurse.
The medication carts funds came from the annual Starry Nights fundraiser, according to Devine.
The South Cariboo Health Foundation has also recently bought a new respiratory device for the emergency room that provides up to 60 litres of oxygen for anyone young to old and helps them recover faster to reduce the time people spend in the hospital, according to the emergency room nurses.
If you would like to become a donor or have more questions about the South Cariboo Health Foundation, contact Brenda Devine at 250-706-2102 or southcariboohealth@gmail.com.
