Hey, everybody! Reader here, and we’re through a very successful Day One of the 18th annual Cruz FM “Airwaves for Health” Radiothon, raising money for the Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan, in order to purchase needed medical equipment and expand medical services and training opportunities, in order to ensure the best possible health care right here at home.
The advantage to that? When we have these services locally, it means quicker diagnosis, resulting in speedier treatment.
Not only that, when those expanded services are available in our own backyard, it means less travel, less stress, and being able to be closer to home and around your support system when going through serious medical issues.
Last year, money was raised to expand and improve the chemotherapy and infusion therapy unit at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre.
This year, the main focus is twofold.
Firstly, money is being raised to expand the endoscopy surgical suite. Endoscopy is an important diagnostic and treatment tool, using flexible high-definition cameras mainly in dealing with issues of the digestive tract, such as for colonoscopies and for screening for esophageal and stomach cancers, among other things.
At the hospital in Yorkton, currently, about 2,500 of these procedures are performed each year, and an expansion of this service will allow for another 10 to 15 a week, which works out to another 500-600 a year.
As well, money raised this year is also going to help cover the cost of ultrasound equipment and practicums for the first group of students that took the Diagnostic Sonography course at Suncrest College, that started in 2024, with financial assistance provided through a partnership with the Health Foundation.
In addition, the Health Foundation is looking to purchase a rapid infusion system, which would deliver warmed blood and fluids to patients in emergency situations, when time is of the essence, such as emergencies, massive trauma and hemorrhages, along with equipment for the emergency department, laboratory and intensive care unit.
The money raised through your donations goes directly to help with these purchases, as it’s important to realize that the Health Foundation is not a government agency. It receives no funding from the province or the Saskatchewan Health Authority. The Foundation answers to you, its donors, and works solely to purchase equipment to be used here in east-central Saskatchewan, to make sure that you, you family, friends, neighbours, and co-workers have access to vital medical care here at home when you need it.
Day One was huge – thank you for donations totalling $134,327.25 – and we still have one more day to go!
To make your donation, it’s simple… call 1-800-636-3243, and pledge your support to local health care!
And be listening from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. tomorrow when we’ll have more interviews with medical professionals, donors, patients and more, discussing the vital role the Health Foundation plays in local health care, the the important role that YOU play in this, as well!
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