Charity Breathe Easy Isle of Man has donated a travel oxygen concentrator to Noble’s Hospital, which will help patients requiring oxygen when travelling off-island.
The device concentrates the oxygen from a gas supply to provide an oxygen-enriched gas mixture to a patient.
Treasurer of the charity, Viv Osland, said: ‘Difficulties with breathing are made worse when people travel off-island, given that check-in for sailing is one hour prior to departure, and a further two and a half hours to reach Liverpool, or three and a half hours to Heysham.
‘And that’s before any onward travel to their destination whether to visit family, friends or holiday.
‘To those who require oxygen it is more than a piece of medical equipment necessary to keep organs healthy, it’s also about confidence – confidence to travel off-island knowing that oxygen is constantly with you.’
The travel concentrator can be be used both as an individual piece of equipment, with two hours constant flow of oxygen, or four hours on pulse under its own battery.
It can also be either plugged into a 12-volt supply in the car or operated under a standard mains socket allowing for significantly longer use.
The concentrator also comes with its own passport so can be used for air travel.
Anyone wishing to take the travel concentrator off-island should, in the first instance, contact their GP surgery.
Breathe Easy Isle of Man meets at the Manx Blind Welfare at Corrin Court, Heywood Avenue, Onchan, once a month.
Contact Viv on 855008 for more information.