Community & Business
14 March, 2025
Generosity boosts medical care
HEALTH care in Mareeba has received a significant boost, with more than $183,480 worth of extra medical equipment now in place, thanks to the generosity of local donors and community organisations through the Mareeba Hospital Friends of the Foundation.
From advanced rehabilitation tools to life-saving emergency department monitors, the addition of the equipment is directly improving patient care and outcomes across multiple departments.
Funds for all the equipment came from specific grants, as well as fundraising activities by the Mareeba Hospital Friends of the Foundation, a subsidiary of the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
Mareeba foundation president Tom Braes OAM, who also chairs the Mt Emerald Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund advisory committee, emphasised the importance of providing new medical equipment.
“The generosity of our community partners has brought tangible improvements to health care services in Mareeba,” he said.
“These critical additions will directly benefit patients, enhance health care delivery, and support our hardworking medical teams.”
Mareeba and Dimbulah Financial Services chair Rhonda Stevens said when assessing applications, the Board looked at the overall community benefit and looked favourably at applications submitted by community minded organisations.
“That is why on this occasion and why, in the past, we have supported the Mareeba Friends of the Hospital Foundation to purchase various medical equipment and supplies,” she said.
Gifts such as those received from the Mareeba Fruit and Vegetable Growers annual dinner also contributed to
the purchases.
Mareeba Hospital Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Michelle Bombardieri, said the
partnership with the Mareeba Friends of the Foundation had been positive for the health service and the community.
“This has allowed clinicians providing critical services to our community the opportunity to prioritise and communicate with the FOF opportunities for donations of essential equipment and resources which has directly improved care and outcomes for our patients and our community,” she said.
The equipment that has been funded includes:
• Phillips Monitors ($44,312) for the Mareeba Hospital Emergency Department, allows nurses to monitor isolated patients remotely while providing continuous observation for critically ill patients. This reduces staff workload and enhances patient safety. These were partly funded by Bendigo Bank’s Mareeba & Dimbulah Community Grants Program.
• Giraffe Infant Warmer ($34,000), funded by the Bendigo Bank’s Mareeba & Dimbulah Community Grants Program, provides newborns with a state-of-the-art micro- environment to improve clinical outcomes. Equipped with in-bed scales, cardiac monitoring, and resuscitation capabilities.
• New dental chair ($35,000) for the Mareeba School Dental Clinic, improves patient comfort and treatment efficiency funded by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation.
• LUCAS Chest Compression System ($22,902) for the Emergency Department, automates high-quality chest compressions, ensuring uninterrupted CPR for prolonged resuscitation attempts through the Gambling Community Benefit Fund.
• A $15,350 Omi Vista Interactive Mobile Projector, funded by the Mt Emerald Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund, transforms therapy for OPERA (Older Persons Evaluation Rehabilitation Assessment) patients. The projector encourages movement, cognitive stimulation, and social interaction, ultimately helping patients regain mobility and coordination in an engaging and meaningful way.
• Birthing Simulator ($16,805) to train midwives and medical staff in critical birthing procedures, helping improve emergency response times and maternal care
• Video otoscope ($2494) for Mareeba Child and Family Health Service, enabling parents to view their child’s ear drum in real time and improving diagnosis and treatment engagement.
• Vesticam Infrared Video Goggles ($3384) revolutionise dizziness and balance disorder assessments at Tablelands Allied Health.
• Three bariatric waiting room chairs ($2285) for Mareeba Community Health/Outpatients Department, ensuring individuals requiring wider and sturdier seating have a comfortable and dignified experience.
• An Accuvein device ($6950) has been acquired for Dimbulah, making vein detection easier for health care professionals and reducing patient discomfort during procedures.
