Mackay Base Hospital and Mater Private present state-of-the-art neonatal transport cot for premature babies

Mackay’s hospitals have scored a state-of-the-art new neonatal transport cot for sick or premature babies. Here’s why hospital staff say the cot ushers in a new era of infant care. VIDEO.

Premature or sick babies born in Mackay’s hospitals now have extra support in the fight to survive.

A state-of-the-art new neonatal transport cot has life support systems for infants born at Mater Private Hospital, allowing them to be transferred safety and swiftly to additional care at Mackay Base Hospital’s Special Care Nursery.

The new addition times in with World Prematurity Day.

Mackay Base Hospital acting clinical nurse consultant Louise Johnson said acquiring the hi-tech equipment had “been a team effort”.

“The cot has a ventilator that can provide them with respiratory support (so) the babies can still breathe for themselves” she said.

“(It) can provide temperature control and oxygen if the baby needs that.

Mackay Base Hospital’s clinical nurse consultant Louise Johnson and Mater Private’s senior clinical midwife Claire Dean present the new neonatal transfer cot to help care for premature and sick infants. Photo: Zoe Devenport

Ms Johnson said the Base hospital delivered about 100 premature babies a year in addition to seriously ill infants.

A similar transport cot had been available several years ago, but of a lower quality than the new model

She said the transport cot was a good example of co-operation between the city’s two major hospitals.

A new neonatal transfer cot shared by Mackay Base Hospital and Mater Private Hospital will help care for premature and sick infants. Photo: Zoe Devenport

“(We have) a good working relationship that we can call on each other when we need to”, she said.

The transport cot’s imperative as “when babies are born (at Mater) and they’re sick and need extra care that they’re unable to provide for them.”

Very premature babies are transported to further care in Townsville, but representatives said the new cot would allow many mothers to remain in situ.

Mackay Base Hospital’s clinical nurse consultant Louise Johnson and Mater Private’s senior clinical midwife Claire Dean present the new neonatal transfer cot to help care for premature and sick infants. Photo: Zoe Devenport

Mater Private Hospital executive officer Elizabeth Thomas said “it means a lot for the family to stay in their own community”.

“We do about 450 deliveries a year and sometimes we might have about 30 babies a year that might need transport to the Special Care Nursery”, she said.

“The Base and Mater hospitals are always collaborating to provide patient care, but the sharing of resources takes that collaboration to another level.”