The Stroke Ambulance is a purpose-built vehicle equipped with a CT scanner and staffed by Paramedics who are trained to diagnose whether a stroke is caused by a blockage or a bleed. This enables the patient to receive the correct treatment before permanent damage to the brain occurs. The aim is to diagnose and treat the patient within the ‘Golden Hour’, the time between when the first symptoms occur and when the effect of the stroke causes irreparable damage.
When Melbourne’s second Stroke Ambulance (MSU2) was in development, there was a need for funding to purchase various pieces of necessary equipment. Lodge Liberation’s Neil Nyholm brought the project to the attention of his Lodge following a symposium hosted by the Weary Dunlop Medical Research Foundation, where Professor Geoffrey Donnan discussed the effectiveness of the Melbourne Stroke Ambulance in early stroke detection.
Funding from the Cavaliers Grand Lodge Ceremonial Team and Scottish Rite, local Lodges and FFV enabled a total donation of $40,000 towards the purchase, installation and calibration of a Contrast Injector in MSU-2 which was commissioned in April 2024. This is a vital piece of equipment and used to inject dye into the patient, while undergoing the CT scan. The addition of a contrast injector to MSU-2 will enable paramedics to accurately determine the cause of a stroke within the crucial golden hour, thereby facilitating timely and appropriate treatment. This capability is clinically proven to save lives and significantly reduce the risk of long-term physical and cognitive impairment.
A further donation of $20,000 in June 2024 enabled the purchase of a high-resolution video camera for MSU-2, enabling stroke specialists to remain at the hospital while monitoring patients and guiding ambulance staff in real-time. This remote monitoring capability ensures that stroke victims receive the best possible care enroute to the hospital, ultimately saving more lives and improving recovery rates.
One Freemason, Ron Evans, rallied up support for the project by sharing his personal experience at Lodge visits and encouraged members to join his Cans for Scans container recycling scheme.
A plaque in the Ambulance will honour the late MWBro. Vaughan Werner, Past Grand Master, who passed away following a massive stroke while he and his wife, Beverley, were returning from a Lodge meeting in Shepparton on 12th of December 2019.
“What better way could we pay tribute to our much loved and respected Past Grand Master, than to provide a piece of equipment, which has the potential to save the lives of those who otherwise might find themselves in a similar situation to that which caused Vaughan’s demise.”
