Having not been able to provide most types of x-rays for some time, the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) is now outfitted with two ceiling-mounted multiplex fusion Siemens x-ray machines as well as another portable x-ray machine.
These highly digitalised machines, which were provided by the government, will allow for all types of x-ray services at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The two Siemens x-ray machines and one portable Elara max x-ray machine were procured in June last year at the cost of $113.8M and were officially handed over to the GPHC this morning.
CEO of the GPHC, Robbie Rambarran, explained that these machines are highly digitalised and are suited for not just emergency use but for the volume of work that is being done.
“We do lots of x-rays here; almost 300 different types of x-rays per day… These types of equipment are highly digital. It’s not like long ago when most patients would not go home or would not get an actual x-ray. When we finish shooting an exposure, it is automatically via the internet or via WIFI connection or some cases hard wire [and] it’s loading to a pact system, which is a digital system. When it loads there, it can be transferred to anywhere in this hospital and even at the other external facility…”
That other facility is the Enmore Poly Clinic. Dr Rambarran explained that patients going to see doctors at the clinic no longer have to carry their x-ray films since the results are loaded onto the system and can be accessed.
Two of the three machines have already been installed and are up and running, while the other is still in the installation process.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony in his remarks, stated that they are planning to procure more of these digitalised machines to be installed at other healthcare facilities.
“In our we systems right now, we still have a lot of analog machines …and that’s creating a lot of problems because of the films and it’s so time-consuming… We are going to retire those machines and we are going to go into the digital era where all the x-ray machines that we’re buying would be digital. And it’s for the same reason, in terms of getting the images very quickly to access it and being able to make timely diagnosis,” the minister stated.
Dr Anthony went on to reveal that three such additional machines are in the process of being procured and will be going to the various regional hospitals across the country.
According to the Health Minister, when these machines arrive the expectation is that the staff at the GPHC, who will be operating the current three machines, would train the personnel at the other hospitals on using the digitalised equipment.
Meanwhile, Minister Anthony explained that with monies allocated in Budget 2022 for at least new regional hospitals, those institutions would be outfitted with similar modern and digitalised equipment not only for x-rays but other services such as CT scans.
He added that 200-million-dollars in works will be done at the Festival City Polyclinic which falls under the GPHC’s control, to ensure that they have such modern and the necessary equipment to reduce the patient load going to the GPHC.
In this GPHC proposed budget for this year, an additional $300 million has been allocated to procure equipment for the hospital.
