“The clubs had agreed to organise this event and had an original target of 200 people and $20,000 raised by the auction and sponsorship.
“So, everyone is elated at the final result, which shows just how much support there is for our Northern Rescue helicopters and also indicates there was a gap in the market for a quality dine-and-dance evening in our town.”
Paul Davis, critical care paramedic and deputy clinical operations manager in Whangārei, said the ventilators enabled clinicians to stabilise patients and transport them safely and quickly to care centres. The mechanical ventilators were used by NRHL clinicians hundreds of times a year, or two to three times a week on average.
Patients requiring mechanical ventilation are among the most critically unwell, ranging from those in respiratory failure because of chronic illness to trauma patients with multiple severe injuries, including head trauma, he said.
Northern Rescue fundraising and marketing manager Jan Hewitt was grateful for the efforts of Rotary and the generosity of attendees.
“We rely heavily on people fundraising for us to find an operational shortfall of around $1.2 million annually. Raising this amount of money is an exceptional effort by any standard, and our crews are very thankful.”
Just under 200 people attended the gala. Blanchfield said the music provided by the Basin City Big Band from Whangārei contributed greatly to the special event.
The music was interspersed with an auction and MC Rick Palmer keeping the show rolling. Key items included accommodation packages at the Eagles Nest, Edgewater Resort and dining packages at the Terra restaurant, the Landing and Marsden Estate winery.
Items which also drew interest were shirts signed by SailGP winners Peter Burling, Blair Tuke and their team, and a Crusaders rugby jersey shirt signed by Tamaiti Williams.
Blanchfield said one lucky bidder was able to gather 40 friends to go on a two-hour sunset cruise with Silver Wave around the waters of Paihia and Russell.
Northern Rescue is fundraising for lifesaving medical equipment used often to help Northland’s most critically ill patients.
Six Hamilton T1 ventilators, each worth $53,000, and 10 video laryngoscopes that cost $60,000 in total are needed for Northern Rescue’s fleet, spread across Northland and Auckland.
Two ventilators have been sponsored, leaving four that need funding, as well as the video laryngoscopes, which will be used in Northern Rescue’s helicopters, rapid response vehicles, the Whangārei ambulance and training rooms.
Davis said the current ventilators were nearing the end of their operational lives after about eight years.
“The fact is, as patient numbers and complexity increase – especially during inter-hospital transfers, which is a substantial part of our workload – we need more advanced technology that the more modern ventilators provide.”
Ross Aitken, Auckland-based clinical operations manager and critical care paramedic at Northern Rescue, said the video laryngoscopes had been in use for five years and were also nearing their end.
Video laryngoscopes are used in placing endotracheal tubes in patients who need help to manage their airways and ventilation.
People interested in donating can either phone 0800 273 728 (0800 2 RESCUE) or email donate@nest.org.nz.
