mmg.com.au

Patients, residents and staff at Tatura Hospital and Parkvilla Aged Care Facility are to benefit from generous donations from two local organisations.

Tatura and Shepparton Racing Club and the Tatura 200 charity bike ride have each donated $2000 to provide two new lifters, one for the hospital and one for the aged care facility.

Manager/director of nursing Jayne French said the new lifters would provide great assistance to staff, patients and residents.

‘‘These lifters make the process of lifting a patient so much quicker and easier both for the staff and the patients,’’ she said.

‘‘They are a really great aid to ensure the safe movement of residents and patients throughout the facility and they also minimise the manual handling risk to our staff as well.’’

Previously patients had to be raised and lowered onto a wheelchair for transportation, with the same operation being required at their destination.

With the new lifters it is now a one step process instead of two as the lifters are also used as the method of transportation.

The Tatura 200 charity bike ride has been raising raising money for the local community since 2008.

The 2011 event took place on November 5 and raised about $70000 with cyclists riding distances ranging from 25km to 200km and walkers following 5km or 10km routes.

The donation from Tatura and Shepparton Racing Club was provided by a Punters Club run on December 4 for the 2011 Italian Plate Day.

At the end of a successful day the Punters Club decided to donate the winnings to Tatura Hospital and Parkvilla Aged Care.