The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation is proud to support our doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, and administrators who are continuing the high level of care at our Island’s main referral hospital. The QEH Foundation is in frequent contact with our healthcare colleagues and learned that in preparation for the fight against COVID-19, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is establishing a secondary intensive care space within the hospital for isolation of patients presenting with COVID-19 and requiring intubation/ventilation.

In order to meet the anticipated need for hemodialysis as a result of the COVID-19 virus, the renal program requires the two (2) reverse osmosis machines. The reverse osmosis (RO) system uses a pump to push water through a filter which removes contaminants. The systems use ultra pure water which enters the hemodialysis machine and is used to mix the dialysate for dialysis treatment. Reverse osmosis machines are portable. These machines will also be used post COVID-19 for ICU dialysis.

QEH Foundation committed to fund the purchase of two reverse osmosis machines at a cost of $35 000. “As the only acute care facility in PEI that provides hemodialysis in intensive care, we could not delay in our commitment to fund the purchase of these machines for QEH,” says Foundation Board Chair, Ed Lawlor. "Besides adhering to the advice of public health officials, this is another way to show we’re behind our doctors, nurses and all healthcare professionals, and all Islanders."