The Humpty Dumpty Foundation has provided the Mount Isa Hospital with two specialised pieces of lifesaving equipment worth more than $120,000 for the specialist care nursery unit.
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North West Hospital and Health Service Specialist Paediatrician and Acting Director of Paediatrics, Dr Prema Subramaniam said the foundation had donated a Giraffe OmniBed Carestation and a Babylog ventilator.
Dr Subramaniam said that these pieces of lifesaving equipment would be extremely beneficial in saving premature babies lives.
"When we are managing tiny babies, who are often born at under 28 weeks, an incubator is used to try to mimic the temperature-controlled, protective environment of a mother's womb," Dr Subramaniam said.
"These babies are prone to losing a lot of heat and a lot of fluid; they have tiny, fragile little systems. This incubator will maintain the baby's temperature adequately and reduce problems with oxygenation and breathing.
"Premature babies also have very fragile lungs, and the ventilator will mimic the natural breathing pattern of the baby without too much pressure or volume of oxygen, which will reduce the risk of long-term lung disease, which these babies can be very prone to."
Dr Subramaniam said babies requiring acute care will often be flown to Townsville, but this new equipment could help them provide a higher level of neonatal care and stabilisation while they wait for the transport team, which will increase the babies chance of survival.
Humpty Dumpty Foundation Founder and Executive Chairman, Paul Francis, said the foundation was pleased to donate these two much-needed pieces to the Mount Isa Hospital's Special Care Nursery on behalf of their donors.
"These are both significant and much-needed life-saving pieces of equipment, and I am certain they will go very far to treat and care for babies in Mount Isa," he said.
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