Order for new Isle of Man hyperbaric chamber 'a monumental day'

The original hyperbaric chamber was installed in 1984

The ordering of a new hyperbaric chamber for the Isle of Man is "a monumental day" for the charity buying it, a director has said.

The oxygen therapy unit, which will cost about £400,000, will replace two chambers which became obsolete in 2018.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Isle of Man director Debbie Barron said signing a contract for the unit meant the charity was "halfway to making it a reality".

A further £131,000 would need to be raised to bring it to the island.

Chairman John Watterson said the unit was "no less" than the island deserves.

Hyperbaric chambers can be used to treat a number of conditions, including decompression sickness in divers, crush injuries and skin grafts.

Ms Barron said signing a contract for the chamber, which will be installed at the charity's facility in Douglas, was a "monumental day" for the charity.

The organisation's chairman John Watterson said it was hoped that in the future, the Isle of Man would "be back on the map as one of the 12 hyperbaric medicine facilities in the UK".

A charity spokesman said a second fundraising campaign would be launched to pay for refurbishment of the facility, along with training, medical gases and other equipment needed before patients can be treated.