A group based in Tobermory is raising money to upgrade the community's hyperbaric facility.
Tobermory Hyperbaric Facility Inc. is a third of the way towards their $150,000 total. If reached, the group would see a new chamber, already obtained from Toronto’s General Hospital, installed in the village’s medical clinic.
The current chamber, which was installed in 1976, was designed to treat victims of diving accidents within the Fathom Five National Park. Since then, officials like Dr. George Harpur have used the oxygen-based therapy provided by hyperbaric chambers to treat certain medical conditions other than decompression sickness.
“We only spend about 15% of our time with divers,” says Harpur. “We spend the rest of our time treating medical cases. The bulk of those are complications arising from radiation therapy for cancer. In that particular capacity, it is a very valuable tool.”
There are 14 medical conditions that respond to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy that are covered by OHIP.
Harpur says the current facility, with has a 54-inch internal diameter, is difficult to navigate for some of the elderly people who attend the chamber for therapy.
“The door opening is only about 28-inches across and that’s difficult to navigate, even for fit individuals,” says Harpur.
Overall, the refurbishment will cost around $350,000.
A session in the chamber would last around two hours and would contain around 90 minutes of breathing. Along with an attendant, one to three patients can fit in the chamber.
“We have treated folks from Hanover, Kincardine, Southampton and places in between for predental, leg and foot ulcers and carbon monoxide poisoning,” Harpur, who is the organization’s chairman, tells CKNX News.
More information about the fundraising campaign can be found here.
A video produced by the organization showing the new chamber can be viewed below.
https://youtu.be/5uEwccFmOKs
