Due to a huge amount of public support, residents of Moose Jaw and the surrounding communities that form the Five Hills Health Region will now be able access hyperbaric oxygen therapy close to home.
The treatment device, which is located in the Dr. F.H. Wigmore regional hospital, was purchased largely due to the nearly $850,000 in funds that was raised throughout the community. Much of this was collected through the efforts of the Moose Jaw Fire Department, which had agreed to match as much as $50,000 in donations.
Hyperbaric therapy is used to treat wounds that are taking a long time to heal, decompression illness in miners and divers, and carbon monoxide poisoning among other afflictions. The hospital currently has two doctors who are trained in the use of the chamber, and it hopes to hire a third. Brochures can be printed to give to patients who will receive this type of therapy so they understand what will happen and how it works.
At least one of the contributions to the efforts to bring the machine to the hospital was not a monetary one. Bret Evans, who owns an excavation company, had received this type of treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning and believes it saved his life. He had volunteered to do the excavation for the project free of charge, and he did just that.
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