We buy medical equipment for public hospitals in Poland, raising money for children's hospitals across the country. This year we are going to focus our efforts on children's surgery and treatment - it means we are going to be raising money to buy equipment for operating rooms, ICUs and post-operation wards.
We aim to improve the conditions of operating theatres, intensive care units, and diagnostic imaging departments.
We will raise funds to buy:
We also aim to equip I.C.U. and recovery wards and buy incubators, monitors, ventilators, syringes and infusion pumps. We also intend to purchase ultrasonographs and ECG machines for operating theatres and intensive care units.
Paediatric surgery
There were over 80 000 operations performed at 67 paediatric surgery wards across Poland last year. Even though Polish paediatric surgery is ranked among the best ones in Europe, we need to focus more on less invasive procedures, such as endoscopy surgeries to minimise the stress and post-operational trauma and improve the recovery period. We need to provide equipment and training to transform Polish paediatric surgery.
Children's Cardiac Surgery
Our charity was established 28 years ago, and our first fundraiser was held in aid of children's cardiac surgery. We dreamed about buying one cardiopulmonary bypass - and today there are nine centres of children's cardiac surgery performing 2 500 operations annually. We are in the lead when it comes to performing complex surgeries such as neonatal heart surgeries, unusual congenital heart defects, and we will keep supporting Polish cardiac surgeons. We want to raise money to buy echocardiography machines, devices used in open-heart surgery, and all devices needed at the I.C.U.
Children's neurosurgery
There are seven centres of paediatric neurosurgery in Poland, and they perform around 3 000 operations annually. Children's brain surgeries require ultra-modern equipment: microscopes, medical navigation systems. We aim to buy some of the most sophisticated 3D imaging microscopes, which will allow surgeons to perform precise, complex operations and improve the recovery process.
Today we observe the World Spank Out Day (No-hitting, no-smacking, no-spanking day for children) promoted by the American EPOCH (End Physical Punishment of Children) organization, annually. It has been 20 years since the GOCC Foundation initiated the Teddy’s Tale – Don’t hurt me, love me! action aimed at raising the awareness among adults and children on the harmful effects of corporal punishments of the underage.
On 9 May in Poland, we celebrate the Ophthalmologists and Ophthalmology Day – a very special date for the GOCC Foundation. Since 2001 we have run the Prevention of Retinopathy of Prematurity Programme!
Lidia Niedźwiedzka-Owsiak, who is the director of the medical division of the GOCC Foundation, was awarded an Honoris Causa at the Poznań University of Medical Sciences. This recognition was given in appreciation of her commitment to upholding the highest standards in healthcare.
