After receiving a donation of life-saving medical equipment prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mission Memorial Hospital staff are extending their gratitude to the TB Vets Charitable Foundation.
TB Vets is a veterans’ organization that has been supporting respiratory care in B.C. since 1946, when many veterans came home from World War Two suffering from tuberculosis.
The donation of a Hamilton T1 transport ventilator has been “vital in supporting patients in recent months,” according to a news release from the Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation (FVHCF).
“Transport ventilators, such as the Hamilton T1, have always been an essential part of our ventilator fleet. They are what we first use when a patient come to the emergency department and needs a ventilator to help with their breathing,” said Mike McAllister, clinical practice leader of respiratory services at FVHCF.
“Especially during a pandemic, it is important to provide patients with a ventilator right away after intubation, as this helps to prevent the spread of infection by keeping a ‘closed system’ that filters the patient’s exhaled air.”
The Fraser Valley Health Care Foundation raises money for equipment and programs endorsed by the Fraser health Authority. The foundation serves communities in Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, Hope, Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs.
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