A Williams Lake foundation hopes to enhance nursery services at Cariboo Memorial Hospital.
Cariboo Foundation Hospital Trust plans to help purchase two portable baby monitors for newborns, a portable ultrasound machine specific to babies, four panda units to monitor babies at time of delivery, two fetal monitors and two labour and delivery beds for the maternity ward.
“As we all know, there was a huge challenge staffing our maternity ward last year and one of the things our foundation thought was in support of this department, we would focus our energy to refreshing the equipment in that area,” said trust director Tammy Tugnum during a presentation to the CCRHD board during its Jan. 17 meeting.
Read more: Maternity ward back on track at Cariboo Memorial Hospital
All of the new equipment will be easy to move into the new maternity ward when the hospital upgrade is completed, she confirmed.
One item was left off the list — a security monitoring system for mothers and babies — because it would not be able to be moved once it was installed.
The total cost of the equipment is $352,663 and Tugnum said the trust will put in $211,598 and asked the CCHRD to consider funding the remaining $141,065.
Chair Bob Simpson encouraged the trust to submit a report and cover letter to staff so the board can go through the proper bylaw process to approve the request at a future meeting.
He also thanked the trust for its ongoing efforts.
Tugnum the annual gala held in November raised in excess of $205,000 and is already completely sold out for 2020. To date their fundraising has gone toward the purchase of $3 million worth of equipment for CMH.
“We are blessed with some of the most kind and generous people in this community,” Tugnum said. “Even after our event, we were still receiving donations. People were sending us $10,000 cheques in January because they believe in our project and want to support us.”
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