IT’S not just families driving into Ipswich followed by bulging furniture vans that has us speeding toward more than 250,000 local citizens.
Ipswich mums are also doing their part with 3025 babies delivered at Ipswich Hospital alone in the past 12 months.
Last week locals Diana Wood and husband Dean welcomed Micah into the world, albeit a little early at eight weeks premature.
They were grateful to have the medical team in the Ipswich Hospital’s Special Care Nursery to look after their daughter.
“They are fantastic and the care my wife and baby have received couldn’t be any better,” Dean said.
“We felt safe knowing our first child was in great hand.”
With the boom in local baby numbers the special care nursery has been under immense pressure with more than 785 of the new bubs needing to be cared for in the unit.
In response to the demand the Ipswich Hospital Foundation has now launched a Christmas Appeal to purchase more specialist equipment for the nursery to enable it to expand and manage more unwell babies.
Now they are asking residents and businesses to support their biggest ever appeal.
THE Ipswich Hospital Foundation has launched its biggest ever Christmas appeal in a bid to purchase vital new resuscitation equipment for the hospital’s Special Care Nursery.
The foundation’s CEO, Scott Young, is first to admit that the target to raise $150,000 to buy the equipment was an ambitious one, but he said he was counting on the generosity of residents and businesses in the district.
“This project will have great benefits for the nursery and yes, it’s a big ask, but that’s what is needed as our first priority and so we are going for it,” he said.
In the period of October 2021 to October 2022 more than 3000 babies were born at Ipswich Hospital and 785 of them needed to be looked after in special care.
Of those 210 were born premature and because of equipment and treatment needs approximately 55 babies needed to be transferred to a higher acuity facility.
Ipswich Hospital Director of Paediatrics, Dr John Waugh, said the new resuscitation equipment would have a direct benefit in enabling the hospital to manage more unwell babies on site.
“We currently have only a small space in which to resuscitate babies,” he said.
“The plan is to reconfigure our nursery to provide a larger high acuity area, which will be equipped with the new speciality equipment.
“It will allow us to provide better care and improve functionality in the nursery.
It will assist in keeping babies here now who may have had to be transferred elsewhere.”
While the IHF works to improve the health and well-being of the local community they also assist West Moreton Health to purchase important equipment that improves patient care.
Since September last year IHF has outlaid $270,000 to fund equipment and medical research for West Moreton Health.
This has included a neonatal ventilator for the children’s ward, a portable diagnostic ultrasound system for the Emergency Department and simulation equipment for staff training The IHF also organises the large team of volunteers who assist at Ipswich Hospital and once again many of these will be over at
Riverlink Shopping Centre wrapping Christmas presents to help raise funds for the appeal.
Businesses wanting to get involved in the Christmas Appeal should contact Scott directly on 1300 736 428.
