Kindersley & District Health & Wellness Foundation purchases tourniquet for hospital

By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com

The Kindersley and District Health and Wellness Foundation once again stepped up and purchased a critical piece of equipment for the Kindersley Hospital. Sharon Forsyth, Facility Administrator, said the Zimmer ATS 4000 was recently purchased, replacing an older unit that had been purchased in 2007 and was no longer able to be repaired. The new unit will be in place by September.

“Without the support of the foundation, we wouldn’t be able to purchase the unit,” Sharon said. The new unit cost approximately $19,000. “This year, our capital went to purchase a cardiac monitor and a stretcher for our recovery room.”

Tom Geiger, who has been a board member of the foundation since 2005, said people are unaware how something which seems insignificant can have such a huge impact. “In this case, they would have to postpone procedures before they could get funding from somewhere,” he said.

The Kindersley Hospital uses the tourniquet for arthroscopic knee procedures and is unable to do the surgery without it. It is also sometimes used for carpal tunnel surgery and trigger finger release surgery, depending on the type of anesthesia that is given. It is a system that temporarily stops blood flow in the patient’s extremities during a surgical procedure and is designed to offer individual levels of pressure for each patient, delivering a variety of pressures at specific times and for specific limbs. It also helps minimize the risk of nerve-related injuries and helps lessen post-op pain.

The foundation is critical for supplying essential capital items such as these. “We’re partners in healthcare. Without the foundation, the hospital wouldn’t be able to do the things they do,” Sharon said.

Since the foundation was created in 2001, it has supplied over $5 million for the hospital. “That’s pretty significant for a place our size,” Tom observed. “We could list pages of stuff we purchased, including training for paramedics. We get a list from the hospital and discuss what are the most critical items. With their budget and ours, we work out the best possible scenario to continue to provide great service.”

The foundation now has eight municipalities that give contributions annually. “The municipal leaders understand this is critical, and so they put their money towards supporting it,” Tom explained. He also noted they want to do a significant promotion in the future since they have been unable to do so for quite some time.

If you would like to donate to the Kindersley & District Health & Wellness Foundation, you can mail your donation to Box 195, Kindersley, SK, S0L 1S0.

Sharon Forsyth and Tom Geiger