Melfort Hospital (File Photo/northeastNOW)

By Ben Tompkins

Surgical Equipment Needed

NCHCF hosting first radiothon since 2019

Oct 25, 2023 | 5:34 PM

This Thursday will mark the North Central Health Care Foundation’s (NCHCF) first radiothon in four years.

The organization hasn’t held one since 2019, because of COVID, but tomorrow that will all end as they aim to raise at least $150,000 for surgical equipment.

“We have big hopes and dreams, our wish list is always long for equipment that is needed at the hospital, and it’s so great to be able to have a radiothon again,” said NCHCF Chair, Peggy George. “We’re excited to get back and see the public and tell them what we’re doing and ask for their support.”

The 12-hour day will begin at the Bourgault Curling Centre at 7 a.m. with a $10 pancake breakfast, which will run until 9 a.m.

Meanwhile, phones will be open from 7 to 7, as in-person drop-off donations will also be accepted at the curling rink and the Melfort Hospital.

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“We’ve had a lot of support already through donations, for the breakfast, and we’ve talked to lots of people and we know this is a very giving and caring community,” George added.

“We have a lot of people that respect the health care that we have in our community, and they want to see it keeping up to the highest standards that we expect and that we’ve had in the past, so we are hoping we are going to make our goal, but of course, if we go over the goal, that would be even more awesome.”

For the Melfort Hospital, the wish list is long as it includes two OR tables ($135,000); an OR tower and insufflator ($70,000); a cardiac monitor ($27,000); four stretchers ($32,000); four Vital Signs Monitors ($16,000), and more.

George explained it’s important that the hospital continues to keep up with updated equipment, otherwise, the healthcare workers that are here aren’t able to do their best work.

“We have already spent $177,000 on OR equipment, as surgical equipment is some of the most costly in the healthcare field. It is forever changing and updating and upgrading, so we just need to keep up with the times and not just with the standard stuff, but try to get ahead of the race a little bit too,” she told northeastNOW.

Melfort currently has an in-house general surgeon and three family physicians who support obstetrics and surgery.

“The more surgeries that we can do here, it also helps to relieve some of the pressure in the bigger centers for the more complex surgeries, so it’s really important,” George mentioned.

In the past, the NCHCF has raised $90,000 for an incubator, paid off a digital imaging machine, which cost north of $500,000, and raised over $600,000 for the helipad.

“We do have a great community and we will have to keep asking, unfortunately, because equipment breaks down, it can’t be repaired, it needs to be replaced, and we have the medical team, so we have to keep them with the most up-to-date, best tools that we can,” George concluded.

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news@northeastnow.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8