Stawell Lions Club donation allows for purchase of life-saving equipment

Malignant Hyperthermia is a severe reaction to certain anaesthetic drugs where the body muscles rapidly heat up to extreme temperatures.

It can be fatal without immediate treatment but fortunately it is a very rare disorder.

Stawell Theatre nurse unit manager Sally Hamilton said having a dedicated cart for MH treatment was very important and has been well received by her team.

"We are extremely thankful to the Lions Club for their generosity and feel we are better prepared should we need to utilise it," Ms Hamilton said.

"Prior to getting the cart, we stored all the treatment items in a container not fit for purpose and it was not easy to access items. The cart improves access to equipment and therefore improves response time for such an occurrence."

Malignant Hyperthermia is an extremely rare condition, estimated to occur one in 100,000 adult surgeries and treatable with a drug called Dantrolene.

Lions District Club Revitalisation team leader Robert Eyton said he was very impressed with the Stawell Lions Club to be able to achieve the work to provide such an important life-saving item.

"This is a lovely thing to be able to do and I want to pay homage to the volunteers who have been members at the club over the years and have been able to ensure this donation could happen," Mr Eyton said.

"The club's main fund raiser is the Stawell Easter Carnival and we have just completed another very successful one but like a lot of clubs, we are keen to bolster our membership.

"We are looking for people of all ages, abilities and cultures to join and we are especially keen to attract people who can help with the administrative side of the club."