March 9, 2005 – No decision may be more agonizing than having to decide when to take a loved one off life support.
Dr. Kendall M. Griffith, medical director at Gov. Juan Luis Hospital, said Wednesday, that decision will be easier for many St. Croix families thanks to a donation from St. Croix Rotary West to the hospital.
He said because of the $10,000 check being presented that morning from Wayne Harty, club president, the hospital could now purchase an Electroencephalogram Machine (EEG).
The machine will not only help make neurological disease diagnoses easier, it will help doctors make decisions about when a patient is brain dead. Griffith said the machine will keep "family members from suffering unnecessarily for a prolonged period."
Harty said at the check presentation that it gave the Rotary "great pleasure in helping to address needs at the hospital."
The campaign to purchase the $25,000 machine was initiated by Rena Brodhurst, publisher of the St. Croix Avis. Hospital officials expect the machine to be there and operating within 60 days.
Leola Christian, who is certified to operate the machine, said the St. Croix Hospital has not had an EEG machine since hurricane Hugo hit in 1989 and "everything went down." She thanked everyone in the community who made the purchase of the new machine possible.
Gregory Calliste, chief executive officer at the hospital, said the purchase fits in with "a really ambitious plan to upgrade all our equipment to make sure St. Croix residents get the care they need."
Alphonso Brewster, chairman of community projects for Rotary West, was also present for the check presentation at the hospital.
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