Nearly two years of fundraising for new diagnostic imaging equipment is starting to pay off for the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
The Foundation of CKHA has purchased a new bone densitometer, courtesy of a "substantial donation," from John Cook and his late wife Janet.
While the exact dollar amount isn't being released, John says he donated because his wife was a long-time volunteer with the foundation.
"To be honest I didn't have a particular object in mind," says Cook. "I just wanted to support the group...I'm delighted, really. I couldn't ask for more."
The new densitometer comes just in time, as the old one recently broke down. This left a waiting list of around 500 patients, who had to be sent to hospitals in neighbouring cities. Foundation Executive Director Michele Grzebien-Huckson says they'll continue this pattern of attrition when replacing other equipment in the future.
"Our CT scanner is about 12 years old, so it's reaching it's end of life," says the executive director. "All the equipment in the diagnostic department is mission-critical to CKHA, because all patients come through this department."
The equipment measures calcium in patients' bones, with staff able to take around 15 patients every day.
This is the first diagnostic imaging instrument the hospital has purchased as part of their larger campaign, which has raised more than $3.8-million to date.
