Mater Giving Day delivers for Townsville families
Wednesday 29 June 2022
Townsville families are benefiting from the arrival of a new neonatal resuscitation cot that is providing additional safety for newborns delivered by caesarean section at
Mater Mothers’ Private Townsville.
The $31,000 PANDA cot was funded by community donations to
Mater Foundation and will be dedicated to the perioperative surgical area.
Mater Mothers’ Private Townsville midwife Jessika Bainbridge said the new equipment enhanced safety for babies and improved family-centred care.
“Not only does it provide additional safety for babies, but it also enables us to resuscitate babies closer to their mums when it is required,” Ms Bainbridge said.
“So, it improves family-centred care and makes it less likely that babies are separated from their mothers.”
Ms Bainbridge said the new equipment also enabled clinicians to provide babies needing specialised care after delivery with essential airway support between the birth suite or operating theatre, and the Special Care Nursery.
“The PANDA is an essential form of equipment, and it is wonderful that we now have one dedicated to our birth suite and one to our operating theatre,” she said.
Mater Foundation Executive Director Andrew Thomas said today (Wednesday, 29 June) was Mater’s annual Giving Day, an opportunity for donors’ contributions to be tripled to fund much-needed healthcare equipment and services in regional Queensland.
“Mater Giving Day is a 24-hour fundraiser where generous donations made to Mater Foundation will be matched and tripled by donors,” Mr Thomas said.
“The funds raised contribute to the improvement of Mater’s facilities across Queensland in the same way the PANDA cot is enhancing family-centred care in Townsville.
“Whether you dig deep or give a little, every contribution makes a difference to our patients and extends the services offered at Mater.”
More than $990,000 was raised during the inaugural event in 2021, with this year’s target set at reaching $1 million.