INNISFAIL cancer patients will be more comfortable thanks to the hard work of a dedicated group of local volunteers.
A $7186 blanket warmer bought for the Innisfail Hospital oncology unit is already making life a little warmer for chemotherapy patients, courtesy of the Innisfail Hospital Friends of the Foundation.
Hospital staff received the blanket warmer and videoconferencing equipment, valued at $25,000, with heartfelt appreciation.
Innisfail Hospital Director of Medical Services Dr Thomas Coombs said the equipment would be used by clinicians and patients around the region when making difficult decisions about patient retrieval or end of life care.
"The new system will enhance our disaster coordination capability. It will facilitate planning and sit rep meetings with a clearer line of communication between the hospital Incident Management Team, Local and District Disaster Management Groups, community emergency response teams, and the Health Emergency Operations Centre in Cairns,” he said.
Up to 17 patients a day use the Innisfail chemotherapy unit and while sitting having infusions, patients often get cold.
“Now that we have a blanket warmer in the unit, patients can enjoy a warm blanket (which has been described by patients as being like a big warm hug) at any time, ensuring their treatment time in the chair is as comfortable as possible,” Nurse Unit Manager Romy Clark said.
Innisfail Hospital Friends of the Foundation, a subsidiary of the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation, are an active group of volunteers in the region.
President Estelle Kopp said they were very excited about the purchases. “The money for these purchases comes from all our activities at numerous events and we’re grateful to our community for supporting us,” Mrs Kopp said. “The videoconferencing equipment will be valuable not just clinically but also at times of natural disaster for community-related decisions,” she said.
Photo 1: Emma Phillips (RN), Julie Kruckow (Team Leader Oncology), Friends representative Maria Vasicek, Johanne Stitt, Kerry Mann, RN Simone Jiggens-Anderson, Romy Clark (Nurse Unit Manager)
Photo 2: Innisfail Friends president Estelle Kopp, Kerry Mann, Senior Medical Officer Dr James Boland, Romy Clark, Johanne Stitt and Maria Vasicek with the new VC equipment.
