Held over two days at the newly upgraded Palmerston Golf and Country Club, more than 300 MRM employees, contractors and suppliers attended the annual events held Friday 9 and Friday 23 June, hitting the fairways for a day of fun while leading the way in funding critical medical equipment for Territory kids.

All funds raised from the charity events go directly to supporting the Humpty Dumpty Foundation’s efforts of providing much-needed paediatric equipment to hospitals and health services across the Territory.

MRM continues its strong partnership with the foundation through its Charity Golf Day and is very supportive of Humpty’s continued focus on improving health outcomes for babies and children in remote and regional areas of the Territory.

This year MRM committed to raising funds for Humpty to supply new MX450 IntelliVue Patient Monitors for Royal Darwin Hospital’s Paediatric Service.

These machines are one of the most common and effective pieces of equipment used to care for sick infants and children. The equipment monitors the vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and oxygen levels.

The paediatric service at Royal Darwin Hospital observes high rates of Rheumatic Heart Disease. Historically, the continuous monitoring of paediatric patients with heart disease has been difficult to manage.

The new monitors will alert staff immediately if any of these vital signs change and mean the difference for a sick infant to avert a possibly fatal event.

The cardiac monitors will help to detect any problems with the baby’s heart flow. A cardiac monitor can save a baby’s life by alerting the clinical team if the baby’s heart rate is too high, too low, or irregular. This can help them to intervene quickly and provide appropriate care.

“We’re committed to operating responsibly and making a positive contribution, and the Charity Golf Days is our opportunity to give back to communities and assist with the Territory’s health challenges,” says Mark Furlotte, General Manager of McArthur River Mine.

“Through the generous sponsorship, donations, and involvement from everyone who took part in our charity golf day events, MRM is able to supply seven machines needed by Royal Darwin Hospital, which are valued at $23,340 each.

“This is a great example of the social benefit that private development, particularly mining, can provide to remote communities.

“The MRM Charity Golf Day is a great way for our people, contractors and our suppliers to have fun while raising funds towards an important cause. Since partnering with Humpty, our Charity Golf Days has helped raise over $500,000, which is providing much needed medical equipment to remote communities.”

MRM has partnered directly with Humpty since 2021 to deliver better outcomes to sick Territory kids and babies.

“Limited access to health care services due to geographical isolation, infrastructure challenges and healthcare budget constraints means hospitals and health clinics right across the Northern Territory rely heavily on the support of the Humpty Dumpty Foundation to provide much-needed paediatric equipment,” says Claire Reaney, CEO and Managing Director of Humpty Dumpty Foundation.

“Our mission has always been to ensure every Australian child has access to the healthcare they need, no matter where they live – and together with generous partners like MRM we can ensure costly medical equipment and healthcare programs can be provided where they are needed in the Northern Territory.

“The donation of these seven MX450 IntelliVue Patient Monitors by MRM to Royal Darwin Hospital will positively impact more than 3000 patients treated within the hospital’s paediatrics wards each year and will go to ensuring babies and children receive the care they need to give them the best possible health outcomes.”

Since 2017, Humpty has raised more than $6.7 million for over 70 hospitals and health services in the NT, supported by fundraising initiatives like the MRM Charity Golf Days. In that time, Humpty has provided 760 pieces of lifesaving paediatric medical equipment for many of the NT’s 600 communities. Supplying critical medical equipment into these regions allows for babies and children to receive care quickly and closer to home.

For more information on MRM community initiatives, visit glencore.com.au