Dubbo is one of the communities that will benefit from $180,000 “pods” for the transfer of sick or at-risk newborn babies by the Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern section (RFDS SE).
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The two pods, or neonatal transport incubators, have been donated by the Humpty Dumpty Foundation.
They will be housed at the RFDS SE Dubbo base, having been modified to fit into its aircraft and patient transfer vehicles.
The pods provide a “heat and oxygen rich environment” for babies battling a range of conditions.
Young families in regional cities Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst along with smaller communities such as Wellington, Narromine, Nyngan, Warren and Cobar can sleep easier because of them.
RFDS SE flight nurse Michael Cook said they would enable the safe and secure transfer of newborn babies.“Because the pods have been modified to fit in our vehicles and aircraft, we’ll also now be able to seamlessly transfer babies to hospitals and other settings without taking them out of the pod,” he said.
Because the pods have been modified to fit in our vehicles and aircraft, we’ll also now be able to seamlessly transfer babies to hospitals and other settings without taking them out of the pod.
- Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern section flight nurse Michael Cook
“Thanks to the support of the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, these pods will help us give babies from the country the best chance to survive and overcome any illness they face.”
Mr Cook revealed that three more pods had been purchased for the Broken Hill and Mascot bases through generous support from Khans IGA, an anonymous donor, the UK Friends of the Flying Doctor and Silver City Bush Treadlers. They would bolster efforts to improve the health of rural, regional and remote communities, he said.
Humpty Dumpty Foundation founder and executive chairman Paul Francis OAM said it was “thankful to be in a position” to make the donation to the RFDS SE. “Our Humpty supporters help us make a difference to young lives across Australia and we know many newborn babies will greatly benefit from having these specially modified pods available to transfer them safely to hospital for further treatment,” he said.
