A MOUNT Gambier family has called on the State Government and the community to rally behind a proposed upgrade to the paediatric unit at the city’s hospital.
Venita Coutts and her son Ezekiel, 9, have spoken out about the substandard facilities in the unit ahead of a major hospital fundraiser later this month.
The Hospital Charity Ball – with a “Super Hero” theme – will be staged at The Barn on Saturday, August 25.
The major fundraiser comes on the heels of the campaign to redevelop the cramped renal dialysis unit at the hospital, which will shortly get under way.
It is hoped this new fundraising effort and the groundswell of support from the community will also lead to redevelopment of the paediatric unit.
While praising the staff at the hospital’s paediatric unit, Ms Coutts said the facility was well short of standards compared with metropolitan health facilities.
“I want to see others families – who have had a child diagnosed with a long-term illness – have access to better facilities at the hospital,” Ms Coutts told The Border Watch.
“We have been through that and it can be isolating. So if we can now have a say, we can hopefully improve it for others.”
Ezekiel – who has a myriad of chronic health problems – has been in and out of hospital in Mount Gambier and Adelaide since he was born.
“We take Ezekiel to Adelaide every month for check-ups,” Ms Coutts explained.
While he is a vibrant and popular St Martins Lutheran College student, the pint-size “super hero” battles chronic lung and renal disease and is among regional children who have had multiple admissions in the paediatric unit.
From a parent’s point of view, she said the paediatric ward needed a major overhaul to improve patient care and the spirits of ill children.
Ms Coutts said the paediatric unit needed to be separate from the maternity ward, with greater security as well as a freely available playroom for non-infectious children.
She said the current playroom was not always accessible given the lay-out of the ward.
Ms Coutts also raised concerns over the risk of infection spreading from the paediatric unit to the maternity ward where there were newborn babies.
Other items on her wishlist includes sliding glass doors to the rooms, single bed rooms, an outdoor playground, as well as more activities and play equipment.
Other items would include a bath available for children – instead of showers – which could help with pain relief, as well as individual bathrooms.
A separate kitchen for the paediatric ward would also be helpful for families who stayed overnight with their children.
“I would also like to see a separate treatment room so the child does not have to watch the nurses get the equipment ready because it can stress them out,” Ms Coutts said.
“A lot of the times they will end up screaming and you do not want everyone hearing this.”
Other ideas also include paid or volunteer play therapists to organise activities for sick children.
Ms Coutts praised the work by the hospital’s health advisory council, which has spearheaded a rejuvenation in community fundraising.
Tickets are still available for the charity ball at The Barn.
While it is a super hero theme, attendees are not expected to dress up, but will see a super hero dance routine by staff and emergency services personnel.
Tickets and table bookings are available at Mangos Fashion and the hospital’s consulting rooms.
