Donor Ellis Richardson and FNQHF chief executive officer Gina Hogan call on the community to rally for cutting-edge robotic surgery in the region. Photo: Chisa Hasegawa.
A game-changing $4.3 million robotic surgery project in Far North Queensland is in its final stretch – and needs the community’s support to hit the target.
Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation’s (FNQHF) Donate for DaNi campaign, running since May 2024, will bring the state’s first surgical robot to the public health sector outside of south-east Queensland.
Funds for the cutting-edge robot, affectionately named DaNi, will be doubled at Cairns Base Hospital for a limited time. Generous donors Ellis and Denise Richardson have pledged to match every dollar donated by the public up to $100,000 until 10 November.
FNQHF chief executive officer Gina Hogan said DaNi would make robotic surgery more accessible to patients, including Cape York residents who often had to travel long distances for healthcare needs.
“It’s all about equity of care,” she said.
“There is another surgical robot in Cairns in the private health system; some patients have access to that, but not absolutely everyone.
“We want the best care for everyone in the region. They will have to travel to have access to a surgical robot, but they’re still staying within the region.”
Ms Hogan said the campaign had slightly more than $500,000 to go, which organisers hoped to raise by the end of the year.
“The community has been so engaged with this appeal. We’ve been able to raise over $3.6 million, so we’ve come a long way,” she said.
“DaNi is less invasive, so it means a patient is less likely to have complications and quicker recovery times. It also helps us attract and retain the best possible surgeons in the region because a lot of them now only train on those surgical robots.
“We’re at the exciting, pointy end of the appeal. We’re really fortunate to have donors like Denise and Ellis, who’ve come to the party to help us get there.”
For the Richardsons, who divide their time between Melbourne and Cairns, giving back to the hospital was personal after Denise faced a medical emergency.
“My wife had a major issue and had to come to Cairns Base Hospital; it was a life-or-death emergency issue,” Mr Richardson said.
“The service and support she received from the hospital was first class, so we’re delighted to be able to give back in this way.”
To support the Donate for DaNi campaign and bring Far North Queensland closer to robotic surgery, go to: https://fundraising.fnqhf.org.au/donate/donate-for-dani
