P.E.I. hospital foundations gifted $500K

Island hospital foundationsare getting some additional support from the Saint Dunstan's University Board of Governors.

The $500,000 gift was announced Wednesday by Albert Fogarty, chair of the board at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.

Prince County Hospital is receiving$100,000 for maternal and childcare supportsand King's County Memorial, Eastern Kings Health, Western Hospital and the Community Hospital in O'Learywill each receive gifts of $37,500, a news release from the QEH Foundation said.

The QEH is getting the most money, a total of $250,000 to fund medical equipment for endoscopy.

"By giving these gifts today, we feel we are leaving our mark in the communities of our alumni and also helping thousands of students well into the future," Fogarty said in the release.

Old equipment to be replaced

The QEH treated more than 4,600 endoscopic patients with testing for the probability of cancers in the small and large intestine, lung, esophagus and stomach, as well as other gastrointestinal disorders, the release said.

Dr. Barry Fleming, a general surgeon at the QEH, said the gift will allow the hospital to replace old endoscopy equipment.

"Right now some of the scopes that we've purchased seven,eight years ago are coming to the end of their functional lifespan, and so, we're thankful we're able to get new equipment."

Hope to add 13 colonoscopes

QEH is hoping to purchasecolonoscopes, used to examine the large intestine, Fleming said. The scopes are used for the removal of foreign bodies, excision of tumours and control of hemorrhage.

"We're hopeful to get 13 new colonoscopes and that would, I imagine, take us into the next eight-plus years of equipment," he said.

Fleming said that on average the endoscopy unit at the QEHdoes 125 procedures a week.An endoscopy system, with light towers and colonoscopescan cost up to $100,000,Fleming said, and the QEH Foundation plays an important role in purchasing things the hospital needs.

"Sometimes with health care in Canada today the government may not be able to provide the resources to get everything when the doctors and the nursing staff and the hospital administration feel is appropriate," Fleming said.

"But the foundation steps up for that and have been a constant friend for the hospital."

The donation was made by the SDU Board of Governors to mark and celebrate its 50th anniversary.

More P.E.I. news