The medical imaging department at Delta Hospital has two new ergonomically sound ultrasound stretchers and it has the Delta Hospital Auxiliary to thank.
Late last month, the stretchers, at a cost of $11,500, were delivered to the hospital.
Andreas Hochstrasser, site coordinator of medical imaging, said there was a big need from the patient side and from a staff perspective to get this new equipment.
"The benefits are really patient safety, ease of use and getting on and off the stretcher, which was very difficult before," Hochstrasser said.
"Patient comfort is another thing. We had one stretcher that was outdated and another one that we had safety concerns with. These are ideal. We are very appreciative and enthusiastic to have these two new pieces of equipment."
Hochstrasser said a high percentage of B.C. sonographers report musculoskeletal injuries at some point. He said medical literature suggests that 80 per cent of sonographers seek medical treatment for these kinds of work-related injuries.
"By having the best possible equipment (and this includes proper stretchers) available to our staff at Delta Hospital, we can minimize the risk of a musculoskeletal injury occurring," he added.
Auxiliary president Robbi Schultes said once the group learned of the need, it was happy to step up.
"If we are able to provide this equipment, we want to do that," she said. "They are so important to the safety of patients and staff and we are very fortunate that we can support the needs of the hospital in this way."
