Date: Tuesday 19 November 2019
Time: 3.30pm - 4.30pm
Cost: No charge
In 1992, the Royal Hobart Hospital commissioned a cylindrical hyperbaric chamber. At that time there were features that made this unique across Australia and it was certainly ahead of its time. After 25 years of service the old facility has been retired.
A new chamber will come into operation in 2019 once the Royal Hobart Hospital redevelopment is completed. Like its predecessor, it is unique and ahead of its time.
The new chamber is rectangular and will not only have hyperbaric treatment capabilities, but will also have hypobaric (altitude) capabilities. This makes this the only chamber of its type in the Southern Hemisphere.
Tasmania has a very active occupational diving industry, and with 20,000 recreational divers around the State, the hyperbaric chamber in Hobart is one of the most active across the country. The unit not only has world experts leading the way in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, but is also fostering the future leaders in this field, including aerospace synergies.
The combined hyperbaric/hypobaric capability will create opportunities for innovation, research and development in aerospace and hypobaric fields as well as hyperbaric medicine.
The new facility will be capable of treating 12 patients simultaneously in a new triple lock chamber consisting of one 8 person treatment lock; one central access lock with toilet facilities and one 4 person lock with ICU capability. The new facility will incorporate the latest state of the art technology in order to ensure that it provides the most user friendly equipment for patient treatments and ease of operation by the hyperbaric staff.
Dive in and let us take you on a journey beyond the cosmos in our world leading facility.
NOTE: This tour is dependent on the completion of the Royal Hobart Hospital Redevelopment – a factor outside the control of the Hyperbaric Medicine Staff. If this tour is unable to proceed, you will be notified with plenty of notice.
