Leader grateful for support
Wimmera Health Care Group chief executive Catherine Morley has praised the community for its support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Businesses, service groups and individuals from across the region have shown their appreciation for frontline health workers with gifts, donations, deeds and correspondence.
Ms Morley said her team had been encouraged and appreciative of the generosity displayed by others.
“The past few months have been the most challenging period and having devoted a lifetime to health care I can comfortably say there has been nothing like it before,” she said.
“I’ve been very proud of our team because they have been amazingly resilient throughout and continue to be.
“The support from the community has been a big help and it has told us all that everyone is behind us and appreciative that we are here for them.”
The biggest support came from the Wimmera Health Care Group Ladies Auxiliary, which stepped in at the start with a $50,000 cheque.
Auxiliary chair Denise Queale said her committee usually raised money for a specific item, such as a bariatric bed or a monitor.
“When the pandemic started, we just decided to make a big donation and let the health service decide where the money could be best used,” she said.
“As volunteers we were not going to be able to help physically, but we wanted to show as much support as possible.”
Mrs Queale said the pandemic had forced the cancellation of an annual fashion parade, which was regularly the auxiliary’s biggest money raiser.
“The fashion parade was due to be staged in April, but we’ve had to pull the pin for now and hopefully we can run it later in the year,” she said.
The health group used the auxiliary’s donation to buy three Intelivue patient monitors for the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit.
The devices are used to safely monitor critically ill patients and will be useful regardless of whether COVID-19 became prevalent.
Ms Morley said many Wimmera businesses had offered goods and services to frontline health workers.
“We’ve had the likes of Sheer Urbane Hair providing complimentary shampoos and styles, Domino’s giving free pizzas, several Horsham cafes distributing hundreds of coffee vouchers through Love Your Neighbour and beauty products donated by local distributors such as the Body Shop,” she said.
“We’ve also had national companies like Optus offering free phone services to nurses and Thrifty providing free car rental.
“It’s been overwhelming and I thank everyone who has contributed and shown their support.”