On Monday afternoon representatives from many Rotary Clubs in our district were given a presentation at Liverpool Hospital of their latest acquisition, a Transoesophageal Echocardiography Probe (TOE). This important piece of equipment was partly funded ($30,000) by 21 Rotary Clubs in our district including the Illawarra, the Shire, Sydney, Macarthur, and Parramatta areas. General Electric provided the remainder ($70,000) of the total cost of $100,000. Internal cardiac ultrasounds (TOE) form part of the key diagnostic procedures performed to diagnose heart disease. The small size of the mini-TOE probe allows procedures to be performed without general anaesthesia but instead uses a local anaesthetic throat spray only. This improves the safety of the procedure for patients (no intravenous drugs required) and thus avoids long wait times and hospital block. Scott McGrath, Acting General Manager of Liverpool Hospital, Dr Melissa Leung, Director of Echocardiography, and many of the staff were very appreciative of Rotary’s contribution for providing such an important piece of equipment. Rotary making a difference in our community.
