College’s kits help ease pain Steve Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au A DONATION of 200 “comfort kits” from a class of year 12 VCAL students at Padua College, Mornington will help patients at Frankston Hospital’s emergency department. The kits contain combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, ear plugs, socks, eye masks, anti-bacterial wipes, pencils and Padua Puzzles, which members of the class created themselves. Student and project manager Gus Gordon said the kits included common sense items: “When people come into the emergency department it often isn’t planned – so they might not have the basic things they need like a toothbrush and toothpaste. “We wanted to do something to help the local community, so we decided to make the comfort kits for the hospital. We chose things for the packs that we thought we’d need, if we were in that situation.” Over the course of the year, the stu-
dents set about collecting donations for the packs and fundraising so they could buy other items needed. “We had barbecues at school and hosted a Mother’s Day stall to raise money,” Gus said. “Everyone in the class has played a big part in the project; it’s been great.” Frankston emergency department nurse unit manager Elissa Rolland says the packs will make be big difference. “We see around 220 presentations a day – this is a range of adults and kids who may have life- threatening, critical illnesses as well as less serious injuries, like a broken finger,” Ms Rolland said. “We also see a lot of people experiencing homelessness who will benefit from receiving the packs.” Ms Rolland thanked the students and teacher Deb Arrowsmith for their contribution. “This donation is absolutely amazing,” she said. “The students have done a great job pulling this all together.”
Candidate’s forum
In memory: The ultrasound room at Frankston Hospital will be dedicated to two fallen officers. Picture: Yanni
Hospital ward honors officers Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au FRANKSTON Hospital have welcomed a $150,000 donation from the Blue Ribbon Foundation Peninsula branch. The funding will be used to buy an ultrasound machine in Frankston emergency department, a haemostasis analyser, and two blood pressure machines in the surgical short stay unit. A ceremony was held on 19 October to make the donation and commemorate two police officers who lost their lives. “We are delighted to be dedicating our ultrasound room in the emergency department at Frankston Hospital as a permanent memorial to constables Shaun Gerard Moynihan and Walter Richard Hewitt,” Peninsula Health chief executive Felicity Topp said.
“Both aged only 19, they lost their lives in a traffic accident in Caulfield, on the morning of Friday, 27 November 1981.” The emergency department ultrasound room at Frankston Hospital will be dedicated to the two officers. “The ED ultrasound room allows our emergency team to diagnose and rule out conditions quickly, which in turn reduces the amount of anxiety people feel in an already stressful situation and importantly, it improves outcomes for many,” Ms Topp said. “The dedication of our emergency department ultrasound room is a fitting tribute to lives cut short. “I would like to thank the Blue Ribbon Foundation Peninsula Branch Committee for their tireless efforts and the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation as a whole for its valuable ongoing support of Peninsula Health.”
FRANKSTON Council will host a forum on 1 November to offer Frankston candidates a chance to speak to residents in the electorate. Council says the topic of discussion will centre around the electrification of the Stony Point line, the redevelopment of Centenary Park, the expansion of Jubilee Park, and the establishment of a new Coast Guard facility at Oliver’s Hill. Questions to candidates must be submitted on the night, and will read aloud by a host. Paul Edbrooke MP confirmed he will be attending. Frankston candidate Michael Lamb did not return calls asking if he would be speaking. The event is free to all, and will take place at Functions by the Bay from 7pm to 9pm.
Eyes on Lathams Rd
THE state government’s Major Road Projects Authority is calling for public feedback on preliminary designs for the Lathams Rd duplication project. The authority has set up a website for people to look at and comment on the $80 million plus project that will see the Carrum Downs Industrial Estate’s major arterial road doubled from two to four lanes between Frankston–Dandenong Road and Oliphant Way. Other elements of the project include a new bridge over Peninsula Link freeway; traffic lights where Lathams Rd intersects with Stephenson Rd, Frankston Gardens Drive and Colemans Rd; and two lanes each way on and off EastLink tollway. Construction will start in 2020 and take three years. Online consultation closes on 28 October. Visit: your.roadprojects.vic.gov.au
Celebrating Children’s Week 19-28 October Book a tour
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Call 1300 261 685 or visit platypusjunction.com.au Platypus Junction, 1/55 Union Road, Langwarrin
Frankston Times
23 October 2018
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