Gunnedah District Health Service has been gifted a machine to help people recovering from lung related conditions from a charity that has been on hospital grounds for decades.
While medical staff have been taking care of the community, another is quietly assisting to help source items they need.
The United Hospital Auxiliary Gunnedah volunteers keep the kiosk running three days a week.
They cook take-away style food, tucked away on the hospital grounds with profits raised going toward purchasing equipment that benefit staff and patients. Further efforts come from hundred clubs and raffles to make requests possible.
Staff provide suggestions for what may be useful and those helpful volunteers try to accommodate.
At the top of the wish list recently was a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Observation Machine, costing more than $4000.
This machine can be used for pre and post exercise assessment in its rehabilitation program.
United Hospital Auxiliary Gunnedah secretary Kerry Thomson said the members saw how important it was for a new machine.
“We weren’t going to buy anything until the new hospital was built, but this is a necessity,” Kerry said.
Leslie Croft and Jenny McIntosh working at the kiosk.
The wish came from Pippi Beer, who is a respiratory nurse and pulmonary rehabilitation co-ordinator at Gunnedah District Health Service.
The machine allows staff to check vital signs for patients who are recovering from lung related conditions.
It records blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels in the blood and temperature. This machine can be used for pre and post exercise assessment.
“Big thank you to the hospital auxiliary for bringing this vital piece of equipment to us,” Pippi said.
The Gunnedah Times asked Kerry how it felt as a volunteer to see the fruits of their labour in person.
“It makes you pretty proud,” she said.
Also previously purchased by
the charity were two cots for the nursery.
With the lacking number of volunteers, the kiosk can only run three days a week but is hoping to add days if new members come through.
“The community benefits from [fundraising] but it is for our medical centre,” Kerry said.
