I would like to congratulate the Advocate for its article published in the March 15 issue featuring the wonderful efforts of Sally McRobert in her fundraising endeavours for the purchase of a scalp cooling machine for the Forster hospital oncology unit.
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Scalp cooling technology has been developed to reduce hair loss for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
I would like to draw your attention to one small correction to a statement in the article.
It is Cape Hawke Community Hospital and Health Association (commonly referred to as the “Hospital Association”) who has promised to contribute dollar-for- dollar to the fundraising coffers.
The Forster Private Hospital corporate entity (subsidiary of Pulse Health Ltd.) has not offered to make a financial contribution to the cost of the machine.
As most of your readers are aware, the Association is a local community not-for-profit organisation and owns the hospital building.
The building is leased to Forster Private Hospital, radiology and pathology operators.
The scalp cooling machine will be “owned” by the Association and maintained for the exclusive benefit of Forster-Tuncurry oncology patients.
I hasten to point out that the local hospital staff and management have been very supportive of the project and, when the machine is installed, will have staff specially trained to operate the machine in the chemotherapy unit at the hospital.
Over many years the hospital association board has fought for more public health services for our Forster-Tuncurry Community.
Thankfully, we have made some progress over the last few years.
We now have a hydrotherapy pool, a renal dialysis unit and a chemotherapy unit accessible to public patients.
We also have available low-acuity public inpatient beds available by referral from Manning hospital.
The public inpatient beds and chemotherapy services are conducted by Forster Private Hospital staff under a service agreement with Manning hospital.
The renal dialysis unit is operated entirely by Manning hospital staff as a satellite of that public hospital.
I would like to congratulate Sally and her husband Terry for their wonderful fundraising efforts.
Their work and the generous support they have received from local organisations and individuals is a testament to the rare community spirit of the Forster-Tuncurry people.
