The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation says there's an easy explanation for why a recent newsletter is asking for help funding new ventilators. (Photo: RDRHF)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

lottery-related

Health foundation says ventilator fundraising not connected to COVID-19

Apr 17, 2020 | 11:43 AM

The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation (RDRHF) is clearing the air after a recently published newsletter asked supporters to help fund 10 mechanical ventilation systems.

The machines are the same as the much-discussed ventilators being used to aid patients with severe cases of COVID-19.

Last weekend, Premier Jason Kenney announced the province would be shipping ventilators to other provinces, as well as doubling the province’s ventilator capacity to approximately 760.

RDRHF says their fundraising for ventilators is tied to the 2020 Hospital Lottery and was announced as this year’s cause prior to the pandemic becoming what it has.

“The Foundation is fundraising for this equipment to replace existing machines, not to increase capacity,” says Travis Kuschminder, Marketing & Communications Manager. “Existing machines are nearing their end of their life cycle. Fundraising causes for Foundation events such as Hospital Lottery are decided months in advance and in partnership with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.”

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The hospital’s current ventilators being replaced with funds from this fundraising campaign have a shelf life of eight to 10 years, and can cost between $20,000 and $75,000 apiece, Kuschminder adds. He explains that often the foundation will cross-sell its current fundraising goals through different mediums.

Kuschminder says Hospital Lottery ticket sales are ahead of where they were last year after launching in early March.

“As of March 31, there were 509 adult critical care ventilators at key AHS and Covenant Health sites, including Red Deer,” says Melissa Ballantyne, AHS Communications. “AHS plans to have 925 ventilators at the end of April, 761 of which will be available for COVID-19 patients. This is enough to meet the estimated critical care needs under both the probable and elevated scenarios released as part of the provincial modelling last week.

“This fundraising request is not a direct result of COVID-19. These ventilators continue to function safely and efficiently. Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre is not short of ventilators to care for COVID-19 patients, or others who need such support in the ICU,” Ballantyne adds.

She says Red Deer Regional Hospital continues to see a steady volume of patients in the ER, the majority of which are presenting with high acuity, urgent care needs.

All patients are being screened to determine which area of the ER is most appropriate for them, and to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Premier Kenney oversaw the departure of critical supplies to Ontario, including 50 ventilators, earlier this week.

He insisted last Saturday that Alberta wouldn’t be giving away supplies if it wasn’t a certainty that the province could still take care of itself.

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