ALMONTE – Surgical patients at the Almonte General Hospital (AGH) are now breathing better than ever during surgeries thanks to a donation of more than $190,000 that allowed the hospital to purchase two new anaesthesia machines, one for each of their two operating rooms.

“The anaesthesiologists are really excited about these new machines,” AGH manager of surgical services at AGH Jennifer Lindsay said.  “The old machines were at end of life, we could no longer get replacement parts quickly so sometimes that resulted in us having to delay surgeries.  The two new machines are more easily adjusted which allow the Anaesthetists to tailor the treatments to the patient.”

 The donation was made by the Scharf Family Charitable Trust which is administered by Anne Fleming and Lorna Bradley. 

According to Fleming, “Lorna and I have both used the services at AGH.  It’s so great to have a community hospital so close to home with caring health-care professionals. That’s the reason we’ve decided to donate to AGH each and every year.”

AGH performed approximately 700 surgeries in the main operating room (OR) during 2019 including oral surgeries, operations related to gynecology and urology and plastic surgeries. In addition, 118 C-sections were performed in the obstetrics operating room. 

“We can’t thank Lorna and Anne enough for their incredible generosity towards the hospital,” President and CEO Mary Wilson Trider said.  “Their commitment to quality health care close to home will have a lasting and considerable impact on the high quality of care provided to adults and newborns in our ORs.  On behalf of our patients, physicians and staff, I want to thank them for their donation.”

“This gift is yet another amazing example of how the community, individuals like you and me, local businesses and organizations, can actually influence the quality of care provided at their local hospital,” said foundation chair Rob Scott. “Whether its $190,000 or $10 a month, everyone who counts on this hospital can directly impact the quality of care they receive, or that their family receives, by supporting the work of the AGH FVM Foundation.”

The AGH FVM Foundation works with the community to raise funds that allow the hospital and manor to replace old or purchase new equipment on an annual basis.  Although the Ministry of Health provides funds to operate the two facilities including staff salaries, medications and maintenance, the hospital and manor rely 100 per cent on funds contributed by the community to purchase needed clinical equipment. For more information on supporting quality health care close to home at the Almonte General Hospital or Fairview Manor, please visit: www.almontehospitalfoundation.com.