Hospitals in developing countries will soon have essential life-saving equipment, thanks to a donation of nursing equipment from Federation University.
The university recently gave the items to Traralgon Rotary Club, which will distribute them through its Donations in Kind program.
The nursing items included hospital beds, diagnostic equipment and patient and resuscitation mannequins.
FedUni head of the school of nursing Wendy Penney said the equipment was previously used by FedUni’s nursing students, but had since been upgraded.
“We are upgrading our equipment and improving our nursing simulation spaces in line with our new flexible program and increased demand,” Dr Penney said.
“It is great that our older, but still fully functioning, equipment can be put to good use in developing countries.”
Currently stored in the Donations in Kind factory, the equipment will be shipped overseas as needed by the hospitals.
“Rotary only sends what they know will be used, which means nothing will go to waste,” Traralgon Rotary Club vice-president Janne Speirs said.
“We have sent items to hospitals in countries as far reaching as Africa, and in particular to Timor-Leste.”
Rotary’s Donations in Kind is a major recycling operation, run by volunteers, that gives suitable goods to people in need.
The initiative has provided more than $50 million in aid over the past 10 years.
Ms Speirs thanked the university for its donation, which was already headed for a new home.
“Bangladesh will be sent one of the resuscitation mannequins in a shipment to leave soon,” she said.
