Kingaroy LAC member Chris Box, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington and ambulance paramedic Jo Peall with a vital part of the new birthing training equipment … 

July 19, 2012

Did you know that on average 150 babies are born every year at Kingaroy Hospital? And that this is the highest number of births per annum for any hospital outside Brisbane?

Because there’s so many births in the local area, it’s vital that ambulance paramedics have a high level of training on how to deliver babies safely … just in case they can’t wait!

Thanks to a donation from Stanwell – Tarong Energy Power Stations and Mine,  local paramedics will now be able to receive specialist training on an anatomically correct simulator.

The Kingaroy Local Ambulance Committee (LAC) held a morning tea today to publicly thank Stanwell for their donation of  the “Prompt Birthing Trainer” worth $5040.

This unit will join a range of other training equipment that the LAC has been able to supply over the years to ensure that South Burnett ambulance personnel receive the best training possible.

Kingaroy LAC President John Box said it was vital for his group to partner with organisations such as Stanwell and the Gambling Community Benefit Fund to be able to provide the latest state-of-the-art equipment and training facilities for paramedics.

“For example, a single Lifepak 12 Defibrillator costs $18,800,” he said. “So as I’m sure you can imagine, if we were selling $1 lottery tickets we’d have to sell quite a lot to get just one,” he said.

“But thanks to the wonderful help we’ve received from these organisations, we’ve been able to fit out four of our first response vehicles with these units.”

Mr Box said the new Prompt Birth Trainer would go into service immediately but the equipment would eventually find a home in a dedicated training room which has been included in plans for a new $2.5 million ambulance station at Kingaroy (see SBBiz, February 16, 2012) .

Kingaroy Local Ambulance Committee presentation
Other guests at today’s presentation included, from left,  QAS Assistant Commissioner Chris Broomfield, Nicole Connolly (Stanwell), John Box (LAC), John Carey (Stanwell), Stanwell General Manager Mining Operations Bob Rutten, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington and SBRC Mayor Wayne Kratzmann

[Photos courtesy: Belinda Pennell]