Pays d’Apt, October 2017.
Two years after its launch, the fund « A hospital of the future for the Apt area »
will start financing the first equipment for the new short-stay wing of the hospital.
The fund « A hospital of the future for the Apt area » will soon start financing the first equipment for each of 16 rooms in the short-stay wing (medical, surgical and post natal cases) which will come into use in December. The purchases are beds for accompanying relatives and a computer terminal for use both by medical staff and by patients for contact with family and for entertainment.
To date 300,000 euros have been collected by the fund, 65% through the organization of fund raising events. Shelagh Lester-Smith, president of the fund wants to thank all donors, benefactors, partners and the team of volunteers, both French and from the expatriate community, without whom this result would not have been achieved.
In this third year, the campaign will focus on both companies and individuals with the aim of raising the contributions from these two groups (currently 20% and 15% respectively).
Danielle Fregosi, director of the hospital says : « We really do need their support to give patients and their families a welcoming environment and high quality care and also to see that medical staff can work for patients in really good conditions».
The challenge for the coming months is to get people and companies to support this effort. The quality of care and the comfort factor in the hospital are important elements in helping with the attractiveness of our area. This applies to people looking at the area for retirement, or for second homes and is important for businesses looking to recruit skilled staff not available locally. We really do think that all types of commercial activity will benefit from the presence of a top-class hospital.
Shelagh Lester-Smith, president of the fund says : « It’s your gift which will enable us to buy the beds for accompanying family, set up a meeting room for families on each floor and provide the computer terminals which will allow patients to keep in touch and entertained and medical staff to consult patients’ records and contact specialists in connection with the care programme. Hospital can be a lonely place and the terminals will provide all the contacts for social media, television, radio and e-books».
« Your gift, if you are a benefactor, allows you a significant company tax reduction of 60%.Thus a gift of 5000 euros will cost you only 2000.Helping the fund constitutes a stance by a company of solidarity with the local community and of concern for its staff » says Michel Carloni a manager of Delta Plus which has been a supporter from the start.
Pascale Pruvot, a local solicitor and treasurer of the fund adds : « Individuals can still benefit this year from a 66% tax reduction on the sum gifted provided they act before the end of 2017.You can also make monthly contributions. »
Shelagh’s concluding message is : « Making a gift* to the fund is a tax effective way of supporting a cause of local value to all. May I ask you, the inhabitants, business owners , trades people and company managers to help and I offer my thanks in anticipation. »
* by cheque made out to « Pour le Pays d’Apt, un hôpital d’avenir ». Send it to Centre hospitalier du Pays d’Apt, 225 avenue de Marseille 84405 Apt Cedex, or pay by card on our site http://www.apt-hopitaldavenir.fr