First time mum Samjhena Kc’s precious daughter Kripa, who has spent over a month in Sunshine Hospital’s special care nursery. 68828 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
BY NATALIE GALLENTI
SUNSHINE Hospital now boasts four more much-needed incubators, thanks to the hard and tireless work of volunteers.
Over the past two years, volunteers from the Sunshine Hospital Auxiliary have worked hard to raise a staggering $106,000.
The money was used to purchase incubators for the hospital’s Special Care Nursery, which cares for some of Brimbank’s smallest and most vulnerable babies.
The incubators will help babies requiring close observation and monitoring for a number of reasons including phototherapy for jaundice, maintaining their own body temperature, premature babies and infants that need respiratory support.
First time mum Samjhena Kc knows all two well the importance of the nursery. Ms Kc’s daughter, Kripa, was born at 37 weeks and only weighed 1.5kg. The tiny infant has spent the last six weeks in an incubator while her mother has watched on.
“They’re very helpful and caring (special care nursery staff),” she said.
“I have no words to thank them.”
She said it was important that money was raised so the hospital could continue to provide the best facilities for babies at risk.
One of Sunshine Hospital’s leading neonatologists Dr Thao Lu said the new editions to the nursery were extremely important, particularly as Brimbank and surrounding municipalities continued to grow at a rapid pace, therefore more babies were being born at the hospital each year.
The hospital is the third largest maternity site in Victoria and has up to 800 babies being cared for in the Special Care Nursery each year. The nursery cares for babies from 32 weeks onwards.
“Babies born preterm don’t have a lot of fat and they need the warmth of an incubator.
“The nursery also cares for babies born full term, but sick from any sort of congenital problem.”
Western Health chief executive Kathryn Cook said the hospital couldn’t do what they did without the auxiliary.
“Western Health is enormously grateful for the fundraising efforts of these wonderful volunteers. As the population of the west continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, so too does the demand on our services.”
Head of the auxiliary Pauline Murphy said it was good to see all their hard work put into action.
“When we’re out in the wind doing the sausage sizzle, we remember it’s all worth it,” Ms Murphy said.
