Fundraising efforts for a piece of equipment on Shuswap Lake General Hospital's wish list are near complete.
The Shuswap Hospital Foundation (SHF) annually receives a list of needs at the hospital. One item on the latest list, totalling $330,000, is a Giraffe Omnibed Carestation for the hospital's neonatal care unit. This item alone costs about $69,000, and Fiona Harris, the SHF's director of development, said they've just about secured this amount, with the Salmon Arm Legion having recently donated $5,000 towards the total.
Harris described the Omnibed Carestation as an upgrade to incubators currently in use at the hospital.
"It's basically a double-walled incubator with access benefits of an open bed," said Harris. The unit provides a radiant warmer and bi-directional airflow to ensure stable, continuous visual monitoring; protects the baby from heat loss with air curtain and bi-directional thermal stability for uniform heat distribution; has a built in x-ray tray and radiolucent mattress for easy access digital imaging; and a bed with 360-degree rotation to minimize the need for bed transfers.
"It's for babies who need more care 鈥� born with a fragility, born early, any babies that would need to go into an incubator鈥�," said Harris.
Another wish list item the SHF is currently fundraising for is a wireless localization device technology for individuals having to undergo breast surgery to remove a lesion or lump.
For more information about the Shuswap Hospital Foundation, or to donate, visit .
