CT scanners to be operational at NA, Bartica hospitals by 3rd quarter
Two years after acquiring Computerised Tomography (CT) machines, the New Amsterdam and Bartica Regional Hospitals will finally be able to provide the much-needed service to residents.
The building under construction at Bartica to house the CT scan
Following budgetary allocations, modifications had to be made to the New Amsterdam Hospital to house this highly radioactive machine, while a new building was constructed at Bartica Regional Hospital.
Director of Health Services, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Jevaughn Stephen highlighted that the availability of this service in the Region was quite significant. This comes as the Health Department is working on reducing referral of critical cases to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
“From July 1, these services will be made available to the public, not only New Amsterdam but the entire East Berbice. We find that half of our transfers to GPHC are as a result of injuries to the head that cannot be diagnosed and treated here, because we did not have the CT scan machine. However, with the new machines, we will be reducing those transfers,” Stephen explained.
Meanwhile, Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings recently conducted a supervisory visit to the Bartica Regional Hospital. There, she received an update on the construction of the new building to facilitate the CT scan machine. Based on details provided by the regional officials, the new facility will be completed in another month.
“I saw the building where we are going to house the CT scan. It’s about 80 per cent complete. What’s left to be done is the installation of some doors and windows, a little tiling and electrical work,” Minister Cummings is quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying.
Together, these machines, when functioning, will contribute to equal access health-care delivery, modernisation of health services in communities outside of Georgetown, and be economically beneficial to persons in and around Regions Six and Seven.
RAD-AID, in 2016, handed over the two CT scanners valued at approximately US$200,000, to the Public Health Ministry. The two machines are currently being stored at a central location in Georgetown until they can be dispatched to the two facilities.
