HEART patients in the Far North are resting easier because of the hard work of cyclists on the annual Mt Franklin Cardiac Challenge bike ride.
Two pieces of equipment – worth almost $50,000, have been bought by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation for Cairns Hospital’s cardiac services and are already being put to work.
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service Cardiac Catheter Laboratory clinical nurse consultant Spencer Irvin said the Lucas chest compression device was a lifesaving automated CPR system that would be used in the lab on critically ill heart attack patients who are at risk of having a cardiac arrest. “Having the device available means that one nurse is free to attend to the many other urgent tasks during a cardiac arrest,” Mr Irvin said of the $16,500 piece of equipment.
“It also means the cardiologist can continue with the stenting procedure during the cardiac arrest which is essential to save the patient’s life. Thanks to the bike riders on the Mt Franklin Cardiac Challenge, the Foundation has been able to purchase this device which is a vital tool for a clinically progressive service,” he said.
As well, the Foundation has purchased a bi-pap machine for the Cardiac Care Ward, at a cost of $34,000.
Cardiac Care Ward Nurse Unit Manager Midge Balodis said the bi-pap machine helps patients having trouble breathing because their hearts were struggling to pump blood around their bodies.
“The new bi-pap machine which was bought by the Foundation from funds raised by the Cardiac Challenge, makes it easier to care for these patients because it is easy to use, transportable and more responsive to patient needs,” Mrs Balodis said.
Foundation fundraising and marketing manager Glenys Duncombe said it was always rewarding to see the difference that the hard work by hundreds of cyclists and their donors, made to patients’ lives.
“The Mt Franklin Cardiac Challenge is in its tenth year this year, and has raised more than $2 million in that time towards improving outcomes for cardiac patients in the Far North,” Ms Duncombe said. “Registrations are open now for the 2016 event, which we are expecting to be huge due to the special anniversary this year,” she said.
Photo: Interventional cardiologist Dr Shane Preston, clinical nurse Rhiannon McDowall, Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation fundraising and marketing manager Glenys Duncombe and clinical nurse consultant Spencer Irvin.
