Friends of University Hospital Kerry’s latest gift to county
THE annual Friends of University Hospital Kerry gala benefit night will take place at Friday July 7 at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium in Tralee.
The announcement of this year’s benefit night – sponsored by Kerry Group – was made as the Friends of UHK marked the official instalment of a new Foetal Assessment Ultrasound Machine which they donated to the hospital’s Obstetric Unit.
Purchased with the proceeds of the Friend’s fundraising efforts in 2016 this specialised ultrasound device will be of huge assistance in monitoring the health of babies still in the womb.
Dr Richard Horgan, Consultant Obstetrician, on behalf of the Obstetric Unit, expressed his gratitude.
At present all women have a scan when they register with the hospital but with the new scanner each one will now receive a second scan at 20 weeks.
“This second scan will determine whether the baby is growing normally and will help detect any problems with the womb or placenta. The results provided by the new equipment will play a key part in planning the care required for both mother and baby up to and including the baby’s birth,” said Dr Horgan.
2017 marks the 27th anniversary of the Friend’s of UHK ‘s fundraising programme which has raised over €2 million since it was founded in 1990.
This year’s fundraising target is €100,000 and the money will be used to purchase a second Echogram for the hospital’s Cardiac Unit.
It is hoped this will greatly assist in reducing waiting times for patients who need routine Echo tests.