Szent Rafael Hospital, Zalaegerszeg, 2021

In 2021, despite not being able to hold our normal Burns Supper in January, the Robert Burns International Foundation helped to fund KARL STORZ laparoscopic instruments for paediatric surgery, and an ARDO CALYPSO double plus breast pump.

In past decades, the paediatric surgery department of the Szent Rafael Hospital was only able to perform operations using traditional surgical techniques. In recent years, however, and following international trends, an increasing number of operations on children have been performed with minimally invasive techniques, which require special equipment.

The department is steadily building up a set of laparoscopic instruments that can be used for important diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. With the current donation, additional instruments were acquired to perform more complex abdominal procedures in a minimally invasive way, even on the smallest children. This means less pain, a faster recovery and, no less important, a more cosmetically favourable outcome.

The equipment purchased with the help of the RBIF has constituted a major step forward for paediatric surgery at the hospital.

The department is committed to the breastfeeding of newborns and premature babies. The electric breast pump is more practical and quicker to use than manual milking. It has 2 suction heads, allowing mothers to milk both breasts at the same time. This method not only cuts milking time in half, but also helps to increase milk production and maintain volume. The milking is carried out in a closed system, which is important from a hygiene point of view.

The Head of the Infant and Paediatric Department Dr. László Gárdos said

Our thanks goes to the Robert Burns International Foundation, for your donation of equipment to the children’s ward of the St. Rafael Hospital in Zala County, which has contributed to improving the quality of care and the recovery and physical and mental development of the infants and children cared for on the wards.