United Hospital Auxiliary of Lismore donates LUCAS Stryker chest compression system to Lismore Base Hospital ED

A generous donation to Lismore Base Hospital’s emergency department will greatly assist staff doing their damnedest to save lives, often in hectic circumstances. Here’s the latest.

Lismore Base Hospital Auxiliary secretary Rhonda Powell, treasurer Pauline Strong, and doctors Roland Tee and Connor Riches with the new machine at Lismore Base Hospital.

A group of volunteers have delivered on a promise to donate specialised medical equipment to their community’s hospital in the state’s north.

The United Hospital Auxiliary (UHA) of Lismore’s 33 active members have raised funds to donate a LUCAS Stryker machine chest compression system to Lismore Base Hospital emergency department.

UHA Lismore president Judy Larrescy said the new machine was on the hospital’s wish list.

United Hospital Auxiliary members with LBH staff and the donated LUCAS Stryker machine chest compression system worth $24,981.

“Every year we ask the hospital’s different departments for a wish list of what they’d like,” she said.

“They prioritise how they want them and we just go down the list and purchase them.”

The new system purchased for $24,981 provides automatic and continuous CPR. It enables staff to perform other lifesaving tasks, and also reduces fatigue.

“It goes into the emergency department, and it resuscitates people,” Ms Larrescy explained.

“The machine does the compressions for the nurses then they just have to have one doctor there with the airbag to put the air in for the breathing.

“It can be useful for when people come in and they need to be resuscitated. They can go straight on the machine so the nursing staff can be monitoring their condition without having to work themselves to a frazzle.”

Staff have been receiving training on how to use the Stryker machine.

Dr Roland Tee said he had used one of the machines while working with paramedics in the community.

“It relieves a lot of stress because you’re not having two or three people jumping around trying to do the chest compressions,” he said.

“It improves the flow and function of the person in charge.

“After a resuscitation everyone is pretty tired, so it’s a big difference replacing that manpower.

“On behalf of Lismore ED, and everyone here, the doctors and the nurses and the wardies, we just want to say a very big thank you to all of you, for raising the funds to purchase this equipment.”

Testing the LUCAS Stryker machine chest compression system.

Ms Larrescy said her group, which has long supported the hospital, has donated $83,000 worth of equipment in the financial year.

“We run market days, and we run the shop there in the foyer (of Lismore Base Hospital),” she said.

Ms Larrescy encouraged visitors and the wider community to get involved.

“That makes a fair bit of money for us now that we’ve got the EFTPOS machine – so there is no excuse not to buy anything now,” she said.

“We’re just grateful we can donate something that people can use, (but) hopefully they don’t have to use it very often.”