New ultrasound machine donated to hospital Hi-res copies of attached photos are available at www.waikatodhb.govt.nz

A new ultrasound machine will provide a much clearer picture for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients with kidney problems at Waikato Hospital.

The Tzu Chi Foundation presented the $60,000 machine to Waikato Hospital's Renal Unit today after asking the unit last year if there was anything they could do to help improve the care the unit provides for the community.

Renal physician Dr Kim Wong accepted the machine on behalf of the unit and thanked the foundation for their generosity.

"We're incredibly grateful to the foundation for donating this state of the art machine.

"It will greatly improve the quality of the care we deliver to our patients and allow us to provide that care and treatment in a timelier manner," he said.

Waikato District Health Board's Renal Unit at Waikato Hospital is the tertiary provider for kidney disorders in the Midland region, covering a population of 800,000.

The new machine, which looks similar to a laptop, will provide digital, real-time imagery at a patient's bedside and will help with dialysis, renal biopsies, surveillance of vascular access and assist nurses to insert needles for haemodialysis.

"Inserting a central venous line will be much easier, much safer and we'll have the ability to perform the procedure on the ward or in outpatient clinics," Dr Wong said.

Previously the unit relied on the hospital's Radiology Department to carry out the procedures which often resulted in a longer wait time for patients.

"This machine will give us greater independence and allow us to carry out tests and performing procedures right there and then with the patient," Dr Wong said.

Tzu Chi means 'compassion relief' in English.

The Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in 1966 in Taiwan, has been contributing to better social and community services, medical care, education and humanism in Taiwan and around the world. From the first 30 members the foundation has grown from 30 members in Taiwan to have 312 offices of volunteers in 47 countries worldwide and approximately 10 million members worldwide.