May 14--PORTLAND -- Angel 1, a new ambulance for newborns, infants and children, has been formally placed in service by officials at the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center.
The ambulance, which doctors and nurses said is a newborn and pediatric intensive-care unit on wheels, was put in service at a ceremony next to the children's hospital.
The $300,000 vehicle, which cost another $100,000 to equip, can handle one or two critically ill children and is equipped with incubators and advanced medical equipment.
It is primarily used for transporting ill newborns or children from other hospitals to the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital. Unlike many smaller and rural hospitals, the MMC facility has intensive-care units for young patients.
The vehicle was paid for entirely with donations, with more than half raised at Walmart stores in Maine last year. The retail company provided another $50,000 after employees decided to name the children's hospital their primary charity in Maine.
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©2013 the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine)
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