Premature babies spared Gold Coast trips by $120,000 eye scanner
Premature babies in the Northern Rivers needing urgent eye checks will no longer have to travel to the Gold Coast for screening. A new Paediatric Retinal Imaging System was delivered to Tweed Valley Hospital on 21 October, after the children's health charity Our Kids funded it through community fundraising totalling more than $120,000. The equipment will be shared with Lismore Base Hospital and Grafton Base Hospital. It allows detailed images of a baby's eye to be taken locally and sent to specialists for advice. Screening targets Retinopathy of Prematurity, a serious condition that can cause vision loss if untreated.