VSMMC receives equipment worth $74T from Rotarians

Rotary Club of Poipu Beach, Hawaii yesterday turned over hospital equipment worth $74,000 to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

David Jackson, past president and project director of Rotary Club of Poipu Beach, said that another two 40-footer vans containing hospital equipment will be coming in a few months.

Yesterday, Jackson's group, together with the Rotary Club of Cebu Port Center, formally turned over the equipment to VSMMC. The equipment are composed of nine GE Dash 300 cardiac monitors, nine sets of wall mounting for monitors, miscellaneous equipment for monitors such as blood pressure cuffs, oxygen sensors and recording papers; four Hewlett-Packard defibrillator/monitors, miscellaneous equipment for defibrillators such as cables, electrodes, defibrillator jell and recording paper, two Burdick E350 electrocardiograph machines and miscellaneous equipment for EKG; four Ivac intravenous pumps, 20 battery packs for intravenous pumps, 1,500 sets of intravenous tubing and miscellaneous medicines.

Most of the equipment are brand new, having been recently purchased in the United States. "These (equipment) are the newest and the best in the world, and that we are using the same equipment in our hospital in Hawaii," Jackson pointed out. He also said that the equipment are safe having been "designed for use in the Philippines."

Aside from VSMMC, Jackson said that they are also having this partnership with other Rotary club chapters in the US to give equipment to other hospitals in Cebu province. In fact, they also have already sent several hospital equipment to Verallo Hospital in Bogo.

Before they will leave, Jackson, a nurse in a hospital in Hawaii, said that they will train the nurses and staff of VSMMC on how to use the equipment.

Jackson's group decided to donate equipment to VSMMC after they learned of the lack of equipment at the hospital during their medical mission dubbed "Rotaplast" at VSMMC three years ago. Several months back, Rotary Club of Poipu Beach also donated some anesthesia machines to the hospital.

VSMMC chief Filomena delos Santos expressed gratitude for the donations saying the equipment would be of big help to them, especially for their patients.

"We need these equipment and with them, many patients would be able to benefit," she said. - Wenna A. Berondo/MEEV