The Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation has launched a fundraiser for a medical instrument used to examine tissue biopsies for suspected cases of cancer.
At a cost of about $160,000, a medical grossing station has been on the foundation’s capital project list for about a decade. While the hospital already has access to two grossing stations in its pathology laboratory, foundation CEO Barney Ellis-Perry said the community’s need has reached a point where the hospital has had to hire a third pathologist. With that new pathologist comes the need for more equipment.
“Now is sort of a much more serious situation because they have this new pathologist starting and it would be ineffective if they can’t give them tools to work with,” Ellis-Perry said. “So that’s when we stepped in and said, ‘Hey we’ll take that on and we will ask the public to help us fund this.’”
That isn’t the only piece of cost medical equipment the foundation is looking to fund.
Recent news of the hospital’s proposed cancer centre moving to tender was welcomed by the foundation, but for NRGH to become the “best possible host hospital” there are a list of cancer tools the foundation is looking to supply.
READ MORE: Construction will start next year on $289-million cancer centre in Nanaimo
This includes an aspirator and infiltration pump for breast reconstruction with fat grafting used post-mastectomy for $21,000, two dermatomes and four meshers used for skin grafting for skin cancers at a combined cost of $63,000, as well as a machine for post-menopausal uterine cancer treatment at $17,000.
The most costly item on the wishlist is a portable handheld imager and its related equipment for $167,750. The handheld tool for artery and vein imaging is typically used by doctors during plastic, micro-surgical, reconstructive and gastrointestinal work, including post-breast cancer reconstruction.
Last year, 3,630 people across north and central Vancouver Island received cancer diagnoses.
The foundation said it expects that number to rise with the 14-per cent increase in chemo and oncology patients over the past two years.
“Cancer diagnostic shows a lot more cancer has been diagnosed and our population is greatly increasing as we try to make sure we have everything in place to ensure the community gets the care they need,” Ellis-Perry said.
Tax deductible donations can be made online at http://nanaimohospitalfoundation.com.