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Variety Club helps babies breathe easy - Northern clusters
22 May 2008
Each year, around 1 per cent of babies born in the Hunter New England region need extra support to help them take their first breath.
It is critical that medical teams are confident and skilled in infant resuscitation, so they are ready for this emergency situation.
With the support of the Newcastle Variety Club, medical and nursing staff at hospitals throughout the region will be better resourced to learn, practise and teach new staff infant resuscitation skills.
Maternity Units from 17 hospitals, including Armidale, Glen Innes, Inverell, Narrabri and Moree, will receive an infant resuscitation doll worth $4,500 this week, as the Variety Club passes through on their annual fundraising Bash.
Variety Bash participant, and John Hunter Children’s Hospital Neonatologist Dr Paul Craven said Variety’s gift will ultimately improve the great care already provided to babies by local staff at Hunter New England Health hospitals.
"The first moments are critical for a newborn, so it is important that key staff across our health service are skilled in infant resuscitation and airway management," he said.
Dr Craven and the neonatal team from the John Hunter Children’s Hospital, regularly conduct training sessions at hospitals across the Hunter New England, and since 2005 have reached more than 500 staff.
The Variety donation of an infant resuscitation doll per hospital means staff can practise their resuscitation skills after Dr Craven and the team leave, as well as train new staff as they enter the workforce.
"Variety are supporting our education program by giving staff throughout Hunter New England Health the resources to continue practising the skills they learn, as well as share these skills with other key staff," Dr Craven said.
"At the end of the day, the education program is about giving babies born prematurely or in medical distress the best chance possible and we are sincerely grateful for Variety’s support," he said.
Media Opportunity
Dr Craven and Variety Club representatives will present a resuscitation doll to Maternity staff from Armidale, Glen Innes, Inverell, Narrabri and Moree Hospitals at the training opportunity in Glen Innes Hospital today (Thursday 22 May) at 2pm.
Photos are being taken by a Rural Press journalist in Glen Innes and will be sent to sister news outlets.
Contact: Kay Cope
Phone: 6776 9817
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