In what’s being called an unprecedented gift, Guelph General Hospital received a $5-million donation from Linamar Corp. on Wednesday morning.
The presentation was made on the sixth floor of the hospital as Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz signed a novelty cheque in front of other Linamar and hospital officials.
The donation also comes from the Hasenfratz, Newton and Stoddart families.
“The services Guelph General Hospital provides to our employees and our community are invaluable,” Hasenfratz said. “Our hospital critically needs the support of the community given that all patient equipment must be funded privately in Ontario.”
The hospital said it has never before received such a large donation. It will use it to purchase urgently needed equipment, such as specialized infant warmers, a centralized cardiac monitoring system, smart beds and an enhanced electronic health record system for patients.
“We have an amazing team at Guelph General and this help give them the equipment they need to save lives and improve health,” said Marianne Walker, president and CEO of the hospital.
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In recognition of the gift, the hospital has renamed a pair of units as “The Margaret Hasenfratz Women’s and Children’s Health Care Centre” and “The Linamar Paediatrics Unit.”