Interim hospital manager Jill Stringer said most medical equipment had a 10-year lifespan and as the hospital was 10 years old it was in need of a new cardiac monitoring system.
"We haven't bought a lot of equipment since [the hospital] was built so this year there has been a great deal of pressure on our equipment replacement budget.
"I don't know what we would have done if the trust hadn't come forward with this incredibly generous donation."
Ms Stringer said the new system had enabled the hospital to standardise its equipment between departments, so staff working between departments were familiar with the units.
She said the new system also meant some post-operative patients could be managed from a ward, rather than from the High Dependency Unit.
"It's all about quality and standard of care, standardised equipment and changing the way we do things so we are making better use of resources."
The cardiac monitoring units record data, meaning medical staff can access patient history at will and can easily spot trends.
The system has Wi-Fi capability so patients can be monitored by doctors and nurses through smartphones and a central monitoring hub.
It also had four telemetry units so patients don't have to be confined to a bed.
"It's state of the art technology and it just makes sure we are right up there with our ability to provide quality care," Ms Stringer said.
On Thursday, chairman of the Wairarapa Community Health Trust Garry Daniell was hooked up to one of the units, while hospital staff demonstrated how the new gear worked for trustees.
Mr Daniell said the new system had been prioritised as the old equipment "had become unreliable and outdated".
In the last year, on top of the cardiac monitoring system, the trust has donated to Wairarapa Hospital $66,000 for patient equipment. Through bequests and donations from the community, the trust raises funds to be put towards health care in Wairarapa.
