A NEW portable ultrasound unit is now on order for Mills Memorial Hospital, says Karlene Clark from the REM Lee Hospital Foundation.
Clark says they are very close if not already there to raising all of the money needed to purchase the unit, which will cost $115,000.
The final push came from a $6,000 donation to the foundation from proceeds from this year and last year’s Kitsumkalum Fish Derby.
Eileen Kennedy from the foundation says it has been working toward the ultrasound goal for about 15 months.
The unit will be used in both the emergency and intensive care units at Mills Memorial Hospital and because it is portable, means it can more easily be moved between the two areas.
The unit will be used for cardiac purposes, investigation of trauma to internal organs, needle placements for IVs and epidurals, as well as finding nerves for nerve blocks.
Still on the agenda for the REM Lee foundation is the $10,000 needed to buy a special bed to be used in conjunction with the portable ultrasound unit. The ultrasound unit is expected to arrive late this fall.