Former mayor's gift boosts clinical education
Southend University Hospital's lead haematologist was thrilled to be presented with some top-of-the range teaching equipment for his department.
The cutting edge microscope and camera attachment will prove invaluable in demonstrating blood abnormalities to up-and-coming doctors, said consultant Dr Paul Cervi.
The equipment, complete with projector screen, was the gift of former Southend mayor Cllr Sally Carr, who opted to support the hospital charity during her year-long term of office. She attended the department with her fund-raising colleagues to present the £14,000 gift.
Dr Cervi said: "We desperately needed some up-to-date equipment to improve the training for our specialist haematology registrars and junior doctors. The bulk of our work concerns patients with leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma and we need to make accurate and timely diagnoses, so equipment like this is really essential."
But funding for teaching aids is limited so Dr Cervi was delighted with Cllr Carr's generosity.
"The equipment this replaces was 30 years ago - before digital cameras were available. It really had reached the end of its useful life."
Community fundraising manager Kayley Harvey added: "We are so grateful to Cllr Carr and her committee for choosing the hospital as their chosen charity for her year in office. This equipment will be such a benefit of patients with serious blood disorders.
"We would also like to say a big thank you to Olympus Keymed for providing this equipment and generously giving a £5,000 discount on the microscope."
With pic:Cllr Sally Carr (seated) and her supporters with Dr Paul Cervi (front left) and members of hospital staff