critical equipment Wish list
Please make a donation to our critical equipment wish list
We get hundreds of requests for funding from the hospital and while we cannot respond to them all, every extra dollar helps to equip our medical professionals with the tools they need to best care for you and your loved ones.
Right now you can make a difference at our hospital by supporting
- Haemodialysis machines for the new Renal Unit – Cost $33,000 each
- Pain Management System for the Pain Clinic – Cost $32,000 each
- Transport monitors for the ER expansion – Cost $16,000 each
Our goal is to raise at least $444,000. We have already received some support for this equipment, but now we need your help to reach this goal so the hospital can order them – and patients can start to benefit.
Your gift today will help bring this equipment to our regional hospital – equipment that will make life better for thousands of Central Island residents just like you – or someone you love. Together we can make a difference. Thank you for making NRGH your place to give!
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| Registered nurse Elaine Rowan with a haemodialysis machine. |
Haemodialysis machines keep patients healthy and alive
You may have heard that the Provincial Government announced funding for a new renal unit at our hospital. Hundreds of Central Island residents who have chronic kidney disease have been patiently waiting for this facility. Kidney patients will be able to access the hospital services they need in Nanaimo rather than making costly and time-consuming trips to Victoria for haemodialysis treatments.
A haemodialysis machine acts as an artificial kidney to clean a patient’s blood. Normally, healthy kidneys perform this work for us but those with chronic kidney failure must have dialysis treatments on a regular basis. There is no cure yet for kidney failure, so unless a patient is fortunate enough to have a kidney transplant, the dialysis treatments continue for the rest of their lives.
The machines we hope to purchase with your help will provide the latest in technology and continuously monitor an array of safety-critical parameters to help our doctors and nurses best monitor the health of patients.
Twelve haemodialysis machines are required for the new renal unit at a total cost of $400,000. Construction will begin in July at a total cost of $9.4 million - the Province is contributing 60% of the funding with the remaining to come from the Regional District of Nanaimo and you - our loyal donors.
More information
- Living with Kidney Disease - The Living with Kidney Disease patient manual produced by The Kidney Foundation of Canada is an important educational reference document for Canadians living with kidney disease. This manual contains information about major topics that may be useful to people living with kidney disease. Chapter 3 of this manual deals specifically with answering questions about haemodialysis.
- Haemodialysis Information from Wikepedia - Wikepedia provides a comprehensive overview of haemodialysis including a variety of useful diagrams and medical references.
- Haemodialysis Videos - Watch a variety of videos on Google and YouTube that demonstrate how haemodialysis machines work.
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| The pain management system our Hospital wishes to purchase. |
Pain Management System combats back and neck problems
Back and neck pain are problems that plague many residents in our Central Island community. The pain management system we need to purchase is a state-of-the-art system used for treating difficult types of pain.
- Targets and destroys problematic nerves that cause pain
- Helps over 30% patients who do not respond to current therapies
- Saves patients from having to make time-consuming and expensive trips to Victoria or Vancouver for treatment
More information
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| Registered nurse Darin Abbey with a transport monitor. |
Busiest ER on the Island requires ongoing equipment replacement
Your ER is also going to benefit from a major $36.9 million expansion and will require new equipment. The existing ER was designed to accommodate 15,000 people and now sees over 48,000 yearly. We need transport monitors to safely transport critical patients from the ER to other areas in the hospital or to other healthcare facilities. Transport monitors measure a person’s vital signs but also act as an external pacemaker. They are used frequently and require regular replacement. Your hospital needs to purchase transport monitors to continue to meet the needs of patients who visit the emergency department.