(Cam Lee/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

NCHCF Radio-thon

Former patient weighs in on Melfort Hospital, need for local services ahead of radio-thon

Oct 17, 2019 | 5:00 PM

The North Central Health Care Foundation is embarking on their next fundraising campaign, and it kicks off on Friday.

The 12 hour radio-thon, featured on 105 CJVR and Saskatchewan’s New Beach Radio, will raise money for an updated infant incubator.

The new incubator would go a long way to helping babies throughout the region, something that isn’t lost on Melani Blandin of St. Brieux.

Blandin was commuting to Melfort for work in 2010 when her vehicle hit a tire in the middle of the highway. She broke her pelvis, left foot, and right wrist, leading to some significant mobility issues.

Blandin spent 18 days in hospital in Melfort and said she was treated well from the start, with St. Brieux first responders the first on scene, and Melfort Ambulance transporting her to hospital.

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“The people in the ER explained everything to me and then again to my family. Dr. Steffen is my family doctor and he came into the ER even though he wasn’t on call and came to see me every day at the hospital, even on the weekends,” said Blandin. “The nurses, there was a lot of them, they were really good at transferring the information amongst themselves, I didn’t have to explain myself over and over so they just knew exactly what was going on. They were very personable.”

Blandin said the x-ray team was also excellent, and one difficult night they brought a portable x-ray machine to her room, saving her a painful trip.

She also credited the physio department for their efforts, and said the janitorial and kitchen staffs were both very courteous.

There were other benefits to staying in Melfort for Blandin.

“My kids at the time were eight and five, and my husband and my family, basically everybody kind of lives around St. Brieux and Melfort, so it just made it a lot easier for them to be able to come and see me and kind of transfer duties, and having me close to home,” said Blandin. “Melfort Hospital was the closest thing to home both literally and figuratively, and honestly I will never forget the care and the service that they provided to me.”

Blandin said the campaign to raise money for an infant incubator is a good example of trying to keep health care services local.

“If we can do everything in our power to maintain and enhance services in a great establishment just down the road or just down the street, I strongly believe that we should do that,” said Blandin, who added that she will be forever grateful for the service and the care Melfort Hospital and staff provided during her stay 10 years ago.

The last radio-thon in 2017 brought in about $165,000 for the foundation that went toward digital x-ray equipment.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974