By Pam Kiriakidis
Broadford Lions Club has donated $25,500 to Kilmore District Health to upgrade the cardiac monitors in their urgent care centre.
Club president Ian Harvey presented the cheque to hospital representatives at Broadford Bowls Club earlier this month.
Mr Harvey said the fund originated from the Karen Lonsdale Trust – named for a Broadford resident who was planning to have a heart transplant.
Mr Harvey said since Ms Lonsdale had passed away, the club thought about dedicating money raised to heart-related organisations.
“That was what the trust was set up for – to be heart related, that’s where it came from,” he said.
“That’s what it means with the Lions, we like to serve the community and put into the community and help them out. There’s a lot of people out there that are doing it hard at the moment.”
Kilmore District Health chief executive officer Arish Naresh thanked the club.
“Kilmore District Health has seen one of the largest increases in presentations to our urgent care centre in the Hume region between 2019-2022 due to the rapid population growth and the number one reason for presentations is cardiac,” he said.
“This vital equipment that has been funded by the Lions will be put to very good use.”
The upgraded monitors enable the hospital to print heart electrical activity and to monitor oxygen levels when a patient is unwell or unconscious.
Kilmore District Health urgent care centre nurse unit manager Lisa Carlyon said the ability to print from the monitor was time-saving to initiating treatment.
“It’s important if you have somebody that’s come in with chest pain and if they are having a cardiac event, we can recognise then what is a not good rhythm that needs immediate treatment,” she said.
“There’s so many cardiac conditions that rely on the picture and that snapshot on what’s happening.”
Ms Carlyon said the donation was much-needed.
“I think that’s one thing about Kilmore and Kilmore District Health and the hospital here, is that it very much is relied upon from a community perspective,” she said.
“This is something that we have been looking to upgrade for a period of time and we just haven’t been able to get across the line, so this makes a huge difference.”
