Generous donation gives PEH more x-ray flexibility
A MOBILE x-ray machine has arrived at the hospital after a £107,000 donation.
The funding came from Pula Ltd, the family office for the Lansdown family, after it asked what the Princess Elizabeth Hospital most needed during the first wave of the Covid-19.
It is the third mobile unit at the hospital.
The machine was ordered in June, but delivery was delayed until October due to worldwide orders being placed in response to the pandemic.
Radiology services manager Alistair Richards said it was an incredibly generous donation which was proving highly beneficial.
‘It was ordered with our pandemic preparedness in the forefront of minds, but also knowing it would be very useful for business as usual hospital workload as well.
‘The ability to take an x-ray machine to patients wherever they are based in the hospital rather than them having to come to the radiology unit is obviously very advantageous in a number of situations. Whether it’s down to a patient’s mobility issues due to severe illness or reduced consciousness, it’s far less disruptive not having to move them and aids faster diagnosis.’
The model is the Mobillet Elara Max, which is based on the latest digital x-ray technology.
Due to the design somewhat resembling the anatomy of a giraffe, it has been decorated to look like one. And it has been named Lara.
Pula’s owners, Steve Lansdown and wife Maggie, attended the radiology department to see Lara in action.
Mr Richards and lead radiographer Linda Gardner gave them a demonstration of how it works and explained its uses.
Mr Lansdown said: ‘We wanted to donate something that could make a real difference in what has clearly been a very challenging year for our hospital, but also something that would provide a long-lasting benefit to the community. It is amazing to see the machine first hand and to hear what a positive impact it is making. The fact that it resembles a giraffe is very fitting given our interests in, and love of, Africa’
Once the vaccine programme has been rolled out, and as and when the Covid-19 risk has lessened, the intention is to relocate one of the other mobile x-ray units to Alderney.
