Donation funds medication pumps

The Patient Controlled Analgesia pump or PCA is a special computerized infusion pump that holds pain medication and delivers it through an intravenous line (IV). The pump enables the patient to give themselves pain medication and to control the amount of medication being received for pain relief. Pain control helps the natural healing process and decreases anxiety in the patient.

"We are very pleased to receive this donation," said Ross Fisher, Executive Director of The Health Foundation. "The Yorkton Lions actually made this commitment some months ago, which allowed us to buy this pump last winter and put it into use. When we were planning this program, it was determined that six was the number of the pumps that we needed. To get the best pricing we could we had to buy all six pumps at the same time. The Yorkton Lions made a commitment last winter which allowed us to go ahead with the purchase and put the program in place."

PCA pumps have been in use since the early 1970's and are the standard of care for patients with intense pain for the last 8 years. Before we made the decision to buy these pumps Sunrise tested several of the pumps in the regional health centre for a few months, and staff and patients found them to be very effective.

"It was time we had this technology here and available to patients in the regional health centre," said Ross Fisher, Executive Director of The Health Foundation. During the trial period, Sunrise determined that six pumps were needed.

"We are very grateful to the Yorkton Lions, they have always been very strong supporters of The Health Foundation and have supported most of the major campaigns that we have undertaken, continued Mr. Fisher. This donation brings the total of their contributions to The Health Foundation to nearly $75,000.

"We are very pleased to support the purchase of these pain medication pumps, they will clearly provide a benefit for patients, increasing their comfort and assisting their recovery," said Peter Legebokoff, President of the Yorkton Lions. "In addition to better pain management for the patient, the PCA pumps will also help nurses by giving them the tools they need to give the patients the best care possible."

"This is the type of program people like to see supported. There is a clear benefit to cancer patients with these PCA pumps, but also they have a wider application and will be used by other patients in the regional health centre, not just cancer patients. That's what you want to see when you buy medical equipment; you want to know it will be used", he continued.

"All of the funds the Yorkton Lions raise stay in Yorkton, and support the community and its people in a variety of ways. I think people would find being a member of the Lions, and the service work we do, very gratifying. I would encourage anyone in the community who has been thinking about joining a service club to give the Yorkton Lions a call. We happen to be looking for and accepting new members at this time," continued Mr. Legebokoff.

"PCA can be used for both acute and chronic pain patients. It is commonly used for post-operative pain management, and for end-stage cancer patients. The regional health centre needs pumps in both categories and the six pumps are being fully utilized," said Mr. Fisher.

It is important to note that research studies have shown that patients who utilize the PCA pump actually use less pain medication. As the patient's condition improves and the pain lessens, the doctor will change the pain medications to be taken orally.