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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Children ' s hospital to get new intensive care unit ( Gleaner )...</span>
Lisa D'Oyen, coordinator of Chain of Hope Jamaica. A three-pronged thrust involving Chain of Hope Jamaica, Gift of Life International and the Rotary Club of Portmore is under way to raise funds to build a new cardiac and intensive care unit (ICU) at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew.Lisa D'Oyen, coordinator of Chain of Hope Jamaica, told The Gleaner that an improved facility at the St Andrew hospital is critical to providing adequate treatment for children with heart defects."We do enough that we can perform maximum two surgeries a week. We do as many patients as we can, but the list keeps growing," D'Oyen said.The organisations hope their fund-raising will realise US$5 million that will also fund training for staff at the hospital's ICU. They include doctors, nurses and perfusionists (persons who operate the heart and lung machines).A British nurse who specialises in paediatric care and ICU operations is currently at Bustamante training nurses, courtesy of Chain of Hope, United Kingdom.First major fund-raiserD'Oyen says a project spear-headed by brewing giant Red Stripe in May is expected to be the first major fund-raiser. The Rotary Club of Portmore is also planning a walkathon involving its 27 sister organisations across the country.Since it was launched at the hospital in 2007, D'Oyen said Chain of Hope Jamaica has assisted in the more than 150 heart operations conducted by the Bustamante medical team. But with 400 children reportedly born annually with heart defects in Jamaica, the current facility is unable to meet an overwhelming demand.Over the past 10 years, the Rotary Club of Portmore has assisted in sending 13 children overseas for treatment. The average operation abroad costs US$5,000.Emma Scanlon, executive director of Chain of Hope United Kingdom, says a properly equipped theatre at Bustamante would significantly reduce costs.Her organisation has had a relationship with the hospital since 1996 when it sent a volunteer mission to Jamaica.It has also assisted in training Jamaican doctors in the UK.Rob Raylman is Scanlon's counterpart at Gift of Life International. He said Gift of Life, through its 'Our Hearts Are In' project, has worked in Uganda, El Salvador, and other countries where there is a high rate of heart abnormality in infants.http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...76821275694435
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Confirmed : Children ' s hospital to get new intensive care unit ( Gleaner )...</span>
Lisa D'Oyen, coordinator of Chain of Hope Jamaica. A three-pronged thrust involving Chain of Hope Jamaica, Gift of Life International and the Rotary Club of Portmore is under way to raise funds to build a new cardiac and intensive care unit (ICU) at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew.Lisa D'Oyen, coordinator of Chain of Hope Jamaica, told The Gleaner that an improved facility at the St Andrew hospital is critical to providing adequate treatment for children with heart defects."We do enough that we can perform maximum two surgeries a week. We do as many patients as we can, but the list keeps growing," D'Oyen said.The organisations hope their fund-raising will realise US$5 million that will also fund training for staff at the hospital's ICU. They include doctors, nurses and perfusionists (persons who operate the heart and lung machines).A British nurse who specialises in paediatric care and ICU operations is currently at Bustamante training nurses, courtesy of Chain of Hope, United Kingdom.First major fund-raiserD'Oyen says a project spear-headed by brewing giant Red Stripe in May is expected to be the first major fund-raiser. The Rotary Club of Portmore is also planning a walkathon involving its 27 sister organisations across the country.Since it was launched at the hospital in 2007, D'Oyen said Chain of Hope Jamaica has assisted in the more than 150 heart operations conducted by the Bustamante medical team. But with 400 children reportedly born annually with heart defects in Jamaica, the current facility is unable to meet an overwhelming demand.Over the past 10 years, the Rotary Club of Portmore has assisted in sending 13 children overseas for treatment. The average operation abroad costs US$5,000.Emma Scanlon, executive director of Chain of Hope United Kingdom, says a properly equipped theatre at Bustamante would significantly reduce costs.Her organisation has had a relationship with the hospital since 1996 when it sent a volunteer mission to Jamaica.It has also assisted in training Jamaican doctors in the UK.Rob Raylman is Scanlon's counterpart at Gift of Life International. He said Gift of Life, through its 'Our Hearts Are In' project, has worked in Uganda, El Salvador, and other countries where there is a high rate of heart abnormality in infants.http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...76821275694435