Giving our Tiniest Patients a Safe Journey

Thanks to the very generous support of Rano Community Trust, our Neonatal Unit now has a new transport incubator and trolley – critical equipment that helps ensure our tiniest and most vulnerable babies can be safely transferred when they need specialist care. It is pictured here with a mannequin

The previous incubator was nearing the end of its working life and would soon no longer be able to be used. For our neonatal team, having reliable transport equipment is essential, particularly when a baby needs to be transferred urgently and every second counts.

The new transport system provides a carefully controlled environment for babies while they are on the move, maintaining the temperature, humidity and oxygen levels they need. It also allows the neonatal team to safely transfer babies by ambulance, providing continuity of care from the unit through to their next destination.

This is particularly important in Counties Manukau, which has the highest number of birthing women of any region in New Zealand. Almost 10,000 babies are born at Middlemore Hospital each year, and around 15% of babies born across Counties Manukau require admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

These are some of our most vulnerable babies – many born very prematurely or weighing less than 1,500 grams. For them, specialist care can be critical from their very first moments.

We are incredibly grateful to Rano Community Trust for helping our neonatal team have the equipment they need to care for these precious pēpi, wherever they need to go.