The Sackville Memorial Hospital Foundation is collecting donations to buy some new equipment for its day surgery program.

The day surgery program is able to conduct over 50 different types of surgery, and Pat Estabrooks says it’s time to update its valuable equipment.

Estabrooks is the chair of the fundraising committee, and has no doubt that the people of Sackville and its neighbouring communities will step and help them reach their ambitious goal of $200,000.

CHMA called Estabrooks to hear all about the fundraiser.

The Sackville Memorial Hospital Foundation will use the $200,000 to buy new overhead operating room lights, anesthesia monitoring equipment, a sterilizer for medical device reprocessing, and a laparoscopic/arthroscopic tower (camera and monitor).

“I always like to refer to things such as new equipment [as] a computer,” explains Estabrooks. “When I buy a computer, if I can get five years out of it, I’m doing well. Well, hospital equipment is very much like that. It’s equipment that needs to be replaced over a period of time. Some of it if it’s used on a regular basis.”

According to the Foundation’s press release promoting the fundraiser, surgeons performed over 800 procedures at the local hospital last year. That number is actually less than usual due to COVID-19.

“Day surgery is very important, because it provides a service that maybe you wouldn’t be able to get for a year or two or three,” says Estabrooks. “This is a very important service to our hospital, and for the communities that surround the Town of Sackville.”

“We need that hospital. So there’s no way you can cut back on any of those services, no matter which way you look at it.”

The well-being of the Sackville Hospital, says Estabrooks, impacts the entire Sackville community as well as surrounding communities.

“We have a university that usually has 2,500 kids that come here every year. How many parents would decide they wanted to send their kids to to Sackville for Mount Allison University if we didn’t have medical services within our area?” ponders Estabrooks. “We have seniors who have to drive from Cape Tormentine, Port Elgin, and even in Sackville, who do not have cars. You can get somebody to take you from Cape Tormentine to Sackville, but it’s not as easy to get somebody to take you from Cape Tormentine to Moncton.”

According to Google Maps, it takes around 45 minutes to drive from Cape Tormentine to the Sackville Memorial Hospital and over an hour to get to the Moncton Hospital or the Georges Dumont.

Estabrooks asks that those who are able to make a donation “big or small” to do so.