The Southern Peninsula Community Fund (Rye Opportunity Shop) today announced it will match dollar for dollar all donations received for the Rosebud Hospital Appeal up to a total of $150,000. This pledge is in addition to the initial pledge of $350,000 that has already been committed by the Southern Peninsula Community Fund.
The $1.6 million appeal was launched to enable Rosebud Hospital to acquire and install an ultrasound machine and CT Scanner and redevelop the Medical Imaging area.
“The ultrasound machine has been purchased and is already in use. The $500,000 pledge from the Southern Peninsula Community Fund means the appeal has reached a total of $1.2 million and it is confidently anticipated that the CT Scanner can be acquired and installed during this year,” Jan Child, Executive Director Rosebud Hospital said.
Graham Fitzgerald, President of the Southern Peninsula Community Fund said: “Our organisation is totally committed to this project and believes the expanded Radiology service will be an excellent service for the Rosebud Community. In addition to our initial pledge of $350,000 we will match all donations up to $150,000 made to the Appeal between now and the end of March. This will take our direct support to $500,000.
“We congratulate Rosebud Hospital and the community on having already raised the funds to purchase the ultrasound machine, and now seek the community’s further support to help get the hospital over the line to acquire a CT scanner and complete all the works to develop this invaluable service for the Southern Peninsula,” said Mr Fitzgerald.
Jan Child thanked the Southern Peninsula Community Fund for its extraordinary generosity: “The Southern Peninsula Community Fund has been a long time supporter of Rosebud Hospital and its generous pledges make a huge difference to the Appeal and the services we can offer at Rosebud Hospital.
“The new medical imaging area we want to build at Rosebud Hospital will be a major addition to the excellent emergency services we provide and, importantly, it will allow more people to be treated more quickly and closer to home.
“With the community’s assistance, we are close to being able to acquire a new CT scanner and commence renovations to the hospital, which includes the building of a special lead-lined room,” Ms Child said.
Over 1,000 patients a year require either a CT scan or an ultrasound at Rosebud Hospital. Currently all of these patients have to be transferred to another site in Rosebud or to Frankston. In many cases, patients then return to Rosebud Hospital for ongoing care.
“Transferring patients’ increases inconvenience to them and has the potential to delay treatment,” Ms Child said.
The Rosebud Hospital Emergency Department treats 22,000 patients a year and admits 1,800 patients each year to the medical/surgical wards.
It provides access to medical care for the Southern Peninsula and the thousands of holiday makers that visit the Peninsula every year
People who would like to donate to the Rosebud Hospital Appeal can do so by calling (03) 9788 1502, online at www.peninsulahealth.org.au or in person at Rosebud Hospital. The Southern Peninsula Community Fund is matching public donations dollar for dollar until 31 March 2014.