IMPRESSIVE figures and results are being celebrated by the Far North’s largest local charity as it celebrates its 20th birthday.
The Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation has contributed more than $14 million to improving health services in that time.
Foundation chairman Dr Ken Chapman, who has been at the helm since the beginning, said he was thrilled with the achievements of volunteers, staff, sponsors and donors.
“This is really something worth celebrating – this community has contributed a massive amount to improving health services in the past 20 years,” Dr Chapman said.
The most public donation was the Paediatric Playground Project, at a cost of $1.3 million, as well as the Integrated Patient System at $1.6 million, $700, 000 towards the PET-CT scanner and almost $400, 000 for the brainlab spinal and trauma equipment in theatres.
The Foundation’s first major purchase was the paediatric transport cot cost $135, 000 and was bought in 2003. Recently the cot was replaced by a newer model and donated by Cairns Hospital to Papua New Guinea.
Dr Chapman said the achievements were the result of hard work by volunteers, staff, sponsors and fundraisers.
“This is really a time when we say ‘Thank you’ to everyone who has worked so hard to achieve these outcomes,” Dr Chapman said.
The Foundation was established in March 1997 under the Hospitals Foundations Act 1982 and various Acts of Parliament.
It is a non-profit charity that supports Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service, or in geographical terms – from Cardwell to the Torres Strait and west to Croydon.
This area includes nine hospitals, two multi-purpose health services and 53 primary health centres and encompasses a population of about 270, 000 people.
“Our hospital and health service primary care areas: womens, paediatric, indigenous, men’s, cardiac, thoracic and mental health, orthopaedics, general, emergency and tropical medicine, cancer care, medical research, rural and remote, health education including preventative lifestyle strategies,” Dr Chapman said.
“Our volunteers, sponsors, donors and staff all know they are making a difference in what they do, every day and we couldn’t do it without the community’s support,” he said.
Other impressive figures:
• Annual Motorcycle Muster commences in 2002 and has raised $729, 000 to date
o About 1000 motorcyclist participants riding a combined half-a-million kilometres
• Annual Cardiac Challenge cycle ride to Cooktown starts in 2007 and has raised $2.5 million
o 1614 cyclist participants riding a combined total of approximately 868, 000km
• Annual Give Me 5 For Kids total of $330k
• Jet-Ski event has raised a total of $167k
• Annual Christmas wrapping has raised $165k
o Estimated 200, 000 presents wrapped using about 100km of wrapping paper
Volunteer program
• 409, 000 volunteer hours contributed to the Cairns Hospital which represents 103, 500 shifts
• Christmas wrapping 23, 500 volunteer hours which represents 7300 shifts
• We currently have 760 active volunteers
Other purchases:
• 2 x Intra-aortic balloon pumps
• 3 x Omnibeds
• 4 x BiPAP ventilators
• 5 x Vein illumination devices
• 5 x Pneumatic walker casts
• 6 x Bladder scanners
• 9 x Electric beds
• 10 x Dialysis machines
• 11 x Phototherapy units
• 12 x Breast pumps
• 15 x Wheelchairs
• 19 x Ultrasound machines
• 19 x Defibrillators
• 50 x Bassinet mattresses
• 53 x Pressure relieving mattresses
• 115 x monitoring devices
• 209 x specialist chairs.
