MANITOWANING—The Haweater Unit of Sudbury Shrine Club has made a very generous donation toward the Assiginack Township Family Health Team (FHT) that will benefit local patients.
A donation of $600 was presented by Noble Willis Campbell and Noble Wilfred Holmes, both of the Shrine Club, to members of the Municipality of Assiginack (FHT) last week.
“The donation is going toward a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring system,” said Mr. Campbell. “Currently, if a patient needing this device goes to a hospital there is a charge, but with the unit here (in Assiginack) there will be no cost.”
Sandra Pennie, executive director of the FHT told the Recorder “with the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor a patient comes in and this device is plugged in and then they wear it for 24 hours at home while they are carrying on their daily activities. Then they come back to the medical centre and the monitor is plugged into a computer and the doctor gets a reading of the patient’s blood pressure for the past day.”
“It is great to have this here,” stated Ms. Pennie. “The hospital in Little Current (Manitoulin Health Centre) has one but the patient has to pay to use it; with the one here there is no charge.”
The 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring system, Sun Tech Oscar 2 provides accurate blood pressure readings day and night. The ABPM is considered the gold standard for measuring blood pressure.
Ms. Pennie noted that the estimated cost of the monitoring unit (which has been ordered) is $3,000. “No, we are not quite there in terms of having fundraised all the money for it, but we have other donations that will go toward this as well.”
“It is a great asset for the Family Health Team,” continued Ms. Pennie. “It’s a wonderful machine,” she said, noting, “we are very grateful to the Shriners Club for this donation. I didn’t even know the Shriners group existed here until their members came in and asked if there was anything we need for the FHT.”
