Rotary Club gives generously to help bowel screening in Taranaki

21 August 2015

Taranaki Base Hospital now has a brand new Draeger Infinity Monitor for the Endoscopy Department, thanks to the massive fundraising effort of the Rotary Club of New Plymouth.

Yesterday, Rotary Club members along with Taranaki Health Foundation Trustees and Taranaki DHB staff came together to celebrate the Rotary Clubs very generous $16,000 donation, that has enabled the hospital to purchase the new patient monitoring system that will make endoscopy procedures easier and safer.

Pauline Lockett, Foundation Trustee & Chair, Taranaki DHB thanked the Rotary Club for their fundraising efforts, “We are very fortunate and grateful to have the support of the Rotary Club of New Plymouth and their generous donation will make a real difference to Bowel Screening in the Taranaki region.”

Dr Campbell White, Clinical Director said, “The clubs donation is significant and very timely given the Government’s current focus on national Bowel Screening. This new machine will  be integral to supporting our regional response toward bowel screening and puts us in a good position to manage the extra 700-800 people that could need to be screened each year by 2017.”  

Currently the Endoscopy team at Base hospital performs 1300-1400 colonoscopies a year.

Rotary Club member, Murray Gillespie said the Rotary club held, “two very successful golf tournaments to raise the money for the patient monitoring system and that it was great to see so many people get involved to support the Club’s fundraising effort.”

“Our club has already decided that our next golf tournament, coming up in November, will raise funds for WE HEART TARANAKI and the angiography suite,” added Murray.

Anyone wanting to take part in the Rotary Club of New Plymouth’s charity golf tournament can contact: Murray Gillespie - Phone: 06 7588 688 or by email: mandagillespie@xtra.co.nz

Download more information and entry form here. (PDF 841KB)

Last updated: Friday, August 21, 2015