(File photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

NRHF fundraiser

Nipawin Region Hospital Foundation raising money for video laryngoscope

Apr 7, 2020 | 5:00 PM

The Nipawin Region Health Foundation (NRHF) is raising money for some important medical equipment.

NRHF Executive Director Lewis Robin told northeastNOW they were approached by the facility administrator at the Nipawin Hospital for help to acquire a video laryngoscope.

“It allows the practitioner to insert the equipment to hook someone up to a ventilator, and it also allows it to do it from a little bit of a distance — they don’t have to be right in the face of the patient,” Robin said.

He said it’s an opportunity to help make the staff a little safer and improve the patient services, especially amid the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The video laryngoscope costs $29,000, and Robin said they have raised $2,500 so far. They are doing a public campaign to help raise the money without going face-to-face with the COVID-19 social and physical distancing parameters.

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Cheques are accepted through the mail at Box 448, Nipawin, Sask., S0E 1E0. Robin said you can also put a donation in an envelope through the night deposit safe at Diamond North Credit Union in Nipawin.

While the equipment would be situated at the Nipawin Hospital, Robin said it would benefit patients from communities across the former North East Health District, including Arborfield, Aylsham, Carrot River, Codette, Cumberland House, Nipawin, Smeaton, White Fox and Zenon Park.

“We service a rather large area, and we feel that this piece of equipment that they’ve asked for would be a great enhancement to the services,” Robin said. “We’re hoping that they don’t have to use it, but if they do it will be there.”

The equipment has been ordered, and Robin said it could be here in a couple of weeks. He said the foundation does have emergency funds they can access to purchase the equipment, but that reduces the opportunity for them to help out in another emergent situation.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974