Wagga Base Hospital manager corporate business services Michael Morris and Wagga Base Hospital Auxiliary president Rodney Parsons Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
Wagga Base Hospital Auxilary has raised $171,184.67 in 2022-23, tipping their total donations since 2010 over the $2 million mark.
It means they have been able to tick off a range of items on the hospital’s wishlist, including two telemetry units ($31,290), 19 PractiMan mannequins ($9,706), three Milano chairs ($18,315), a tilt-in-space wheelchair ($33,997), two bariatric Sorrento chairs ($25,830), BladderScan i10 ($15,592), hearing amplifier ($567), Minray ECG ($16,648), Pulse Oximeter ($5,384) and two Milano aged care chairs ($13,856).
Wagga Base Hospital Auxiliary president Rodney Parsons said the donations are the result of 12 months’ hard work.
“It adds to what we’ve given already and puts us over the $2 million mark,” Mr Parsons said.
“It is great for a group of volunteers who work so hard in our little shop (Wagga Wagga Base Hospital Op Shop) at 21 Baylis Street.”
Mr Parson said the hospital management puts together a list, and it is sent to the Auxiliary committee.
“We go through it and decide what we can afford.”
Wagga Wagga Base Hospital Auxiliary secretary Gloria Mason, president Rodney Parsons and treasurer Elizabeth Parsons. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
The Auxiliary president said the committee’s main goal is to make the hospital the best equipped in the state, if not Australia.
“If we can help the staff, the patients and their duties, we are achieving our goal … that’s what we are about.
“We are helping people with what we can do, and we’re able to raise the money in Wagga and it all stays in Wagga.
“We have 30-odd volunteers at the shop and no one is paid … all the money goes to the hospital.”
The donations are a combined effort from the community and benefactors.
“Most of the money earned is through our little shop.
“It’s beautiful because the equipment, clothes and bric-a-brac are presented to us by the public of Wagga, and we sell it in our shop.
Wagga Base Hospital manager corporate business services Michael Morris with Wagga Wagga Base Hospital Auxiliary secretary Gloria Mason, president Rodney Parsons and treasurer Elizabeth Parsons. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
Wagga Base Hospital manager corporate business services Michael Morris said even with hospital upgrades, there was always more to do.
“The more current and update the equipment is, the better we can provide care for our community,” Mr Morris said.
The equipment donated by the Auxiliary supplements what the hospital already gets.
“We’ve had some shortage of the bariatric chairs before and it’s great for the patients that needed that,” he said.
“The practice mannequins allow us to have the nurses on the board rather than going to a training centre.
“The nurses can get a small amount of downtime and be current with their training.”
The hospital op shop is located at 21 Baylis St, Wagga Wagga. It’s open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.