Our Kamloops readers may know of Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation’s annual event Radiothon that has been in existence the last 2 years. The RIH Foundation itself has been operating since 1983. This year ROI Media Works is proud to call ourselves the new Social Media Sponsors for the 2016 Radiothon. Radio NL will be at RIH to broadcast from 6:00AM – 6:00PM on March 3rd this year. Calls will be made from businesses and high profile community members around Kamloops to make generous donations to help improve four key areas in RIH: the Emergency Department, Mental Health Services, Cardiac Services, and Pediatrics.
The demands on the Emergency Department at RIH increase with every year that passes. Patients are never turned away at the Emergency Department, but with space limited as it is, patients must rest in the waiting room for some time. RIH would like to see donations this year towards a Registration/Triage Renovation, which is the area that patients immediately see upon visited the Emergency department, and improvement of the equipment there that would include defibrillators, airway tools, and scopes.
Seeing nearly 1,000 patients each year, the Mental Health Services in RIH feel pinched for space. The area that is needed to be improved is the Common Room, which RIH hopes to see renovated in order to be able to provide enough space to host patients comfortably.
RIH is working hard to bring in Cardiologists to fill in two positions in the Cardiologists Department. Along with filling in those positions, RIH needs the proper equipment that goes with the work that is necessary for Cardiac Services. They need equipment such as Ultrasound (ECHO) Machines, which are $200,000 each, and portable ECHO machines that are $50,000 each.
One of the priorities at RIH is caring for children and babies among the Kamloops community. RIH is in need of state-of-the-art ventilators, over bed warmers, and other specialized equipment that are essential in keeping their Neonatal Intensive Care Units equipped to care for new babies. The Pediatrics Wing itself is also in need of renovation and RIH states that the space no longer meets today’s standards. There is a need for additional space and a clear line of vision from the nurses and the patients.
If you would like to support your local hospital or know someone that does, please give Radio NL a call on March 3 between 6:00AM and 6:00PM. Every donation helps! And if you can’t call or come to the event in person, please help and make a donation here, on their website. You can choose which area of need you’d like to donate to, and make the donation in honour of someone you love.