The Townsville University Hospital Neo-Natal Unit has received 50 Angel Eye Cameras thanks to a partnership between the Glencore Coal Assets Australia Community Investment Project, the Townsville Hospital & Health Service via the Brighter Lives Townsville Hospital Foundation.
Queensland Health Department statistics show that between 2019 and 2021, 659 babies were born pre-term out of the 8,531 babies that were born in the Townsville district. That’s 7.7 per cent. Across Queensland, 6.7 per cent of babies that were born at that same time were born pre-term.
Each year, the Townsville University Hospital cares for more than 800 pre-term and unwell babies from around North Queensland. The Neonatal Unit is the only level six tertiary-referral centre for newborns outside of South East Queensland.
The Angel Eye Cameras will be installed in 50 cots in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Townsville University Hospital.
The technology allows you to see a live video of your baby in their cot in the NICU anywhere, anytime and on any device. Angel Eye allows care teams to easily share one-way patient updates and memorable moments with real-time text, photo and video which reduces stress and anxiety for parents with a child in the NICU or pediatric unit, supporting bonding with their child when they cannot be at the hospital.
The Neonatal unit also coordinates and undertakes the retrieval of sick babies from across North Queensland often resulting in separation of the family unit, so the Angel Eye project enables families to connect to their infant if they find themselves separated from them.
Craig Strudwick, the Social Performance Manager for Glencore’s coal business in Australia said it was a great program for them to get behind.
“Glencore is delighted to support the Angel Eye project, which will significantly improve babies’ health outcomes, decrease parental anxiety, and reduce their hospital costs.
“As a major employer in regional Queensland, the great work done by organisations like the Hospital Foundation delivers the real benefits to our own employees and families, and the wider communities where they live and work,” said Craig.
Glencore has been supporting the Townsville University NICU Unit since 2017. They have funded a number of projects including refurbishing the NICU Butterfly Room, four NICU parent short-stay rooms, two RAD7’s which allows overnight monitoring and documentation of babies with chronic lung disease, six RAD5 Masimo portable saturation monitors that are used to track changes in oxygen levels and are used in the period leading up to babies being discharged home with parents to ensure their safety, as well as five breast milk refrigerators, and that’s just to name a few!
Image caption: L-R: Townsville HHS special care Nurse Unit Manager Michelle Baxter, Father Bob Glock with babies Sienna and Charlie, Glencore Social Performance Manager Craig Strudwick and Dr Matt Bryant the Deputy Chair of Brighter Lives.
