Hamilton Lions Club President, Francis Pekin with WDHS Chief Executive, Rohan Fitzgerald and local resident Ken Moore.
Hamilton Base Hospital has purchased a new ventilator for critically ill patients, thanks to donations from The Hamilton Lions Club and local resident Ken Moore and family.
The ventilator is valued at $41,000, with Ken Moore and the Campbell families generously donating $29,000 and the Lions Club contributing $12,000.
The life-saving equipment, vital for managing patients with COVID-19, is in high demand across the globe and WDHS Chief Executive, Rohan Fitzgerald says the timing of the purchase was critical to the organisation’s COVID-19 preparations.
“Our existing ventilators needed replacement and we were seeking donations before the Coronavirus outbreak occurred. As it turns out, we couldn’t have anticipated just how critical this equipment would become in the context of the pandemic,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
Having advanced, versatile and easy-to-use ventilators that quickly assess and respond to a patient’s changing condition is vital under more ‘normal’ circumstances. But the purchase also means that if required, the hospital can now increase its intensive care capacity to six beds in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.
“We are very grateful to Ken and the Lions Club for supporting our nurses and medical staff to deliver the highest levels of care for our community in these challenging times,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
Hamilton Lions Club President, Francis Pekin said the Club was keen to support the ventilator purchase, and also sought help from other Lions funding bodies.
“We were able to donate a total of $12,000 to the ventilator appeal, which included $3,000 from the Hamilton Lions Club, as well as $6,000 from the Australian Lions Foundation and a further $3,000 from the Lions District 201V2 Charitable Fund.
We are very proud to be able to assist with the purchase of this much needed ventilator, particularly in the current environment, when they are so essential to combat the effects of the virus,” Mr Pekin said.
Hamilton resident Ken Moore says his donation is in recognition of the great care his parents and extended family have received at Hamilton Base Hospital over the years.
“My parents were both well cared for at Western District Health Service and this is one way my family and I can give back. I might also need the hospital myself one day,” he said.
Medical ventilators are designed to provide mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently.