St. Joseph's Hospital in Estevan has unveiled two new anesthetic machines that have been purchased through cooperation with its foundation, and the Sun Country Health Region.

Through the provincial Surgical Initiative program, the health region provided the hospital with $110,000.

The foundation was able to contribute the remaining $90,000 required to purchase the required equipment.

The foundation's money was raised during their inaugural Radiothon for Life earlier this year.

"Working together in partnership is important to achieve goals such as these, which provide safe, quality care for the patient, and up-to-date equipment for our anesthetists," said Sun Country CEO Marga Cugnet.

"We are thrilled that we have been able to take such a huge step forward in outfitting our surgical suites for the future," said St. Joseph's Hospital executive director Greg Hoffort. "We are very pleased that the three parties were able to work together to make this purchase happen.

"This purchase simply was not possible at this time without the support of both (the) Sun Country Health region and the hospital foundation, and it is a great example of what can be achieved by working together to improve the delivery of health care to our community. We have a very talented team at St. Joseph's, and it is important to furnish them with state of the are equipment such as we have here today.

"It is at a time like this that foundation donors can say that they have helped bring the most current medical technology to St. Joseph's Hospital with the new anesthetic machines, and by doing so, have changed hundreds (of) lives in a very positive way, both immediately and for years to come," said foundation executive director Roxy Blackmore. "It is because of their outstanding response at the 2012 Radiothon for Life that the foundation was able to respond to the immediate needs of the hospital."

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