Healthcare services in Grenada are being revolutionised with the addition of a 128-slice CT scanner, which is capable of delivering rapid, accurate, precise and confident diagnoses, including determining the stages of cancer and complex cardiac procedures, among other areas.
Director of Hospital Services Dr Carol McIntosh says the state-of-the-art equipment represents a game-changer for healthcare delivery on the island, allowing for access to a CT scan in a timely fashion for those with head trauma, strokes and other traumatic events.
The CT Scanner is a donation from The Maria Holder Memorial Trust, an invaluable gift for which the country and its people are immensely grateful.
Dr McIntosh said, “We want to say thank you to The Maria Holder Memorial Trust for this impactful donation which essentially makes CT scans accessible to Grenadians who are not able to seek this service elsewhere. We are truly grateful and we have a growing waitlist of persons who are in need of CT scans.”
The CT Scanner was donated in 2019, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it arrived in November 2020. Installation is a complex and highly technical process and as such, was undertaken over several months. That process is now complete and during the past week, a number of test scans were conducted as part of the training phase, in preparation for the commencement of service to the general public.
Dr McIntosh provided some insight into the installation process. She said, “It took a while for the installation to be completed, there were times we needed new parts, or construction works had to be done to accommodate the scanner and also the power surge protector that goes with it. Following the installation, we are now at the stage of training persons who will be working with the equipment.”
Currently, staff within the BioMed and Radiology departments are undergoing training to understand how the equipment functions and what type of maintenance will be required. The training entails both in-person and online sessions.
Dr McIntosh explained that further checks must be completed before a commencement date is announced. A physicist will be brought in to confirm that the room in which the scanner is located is safe, and free from radiation scatter for patients, staff and visitors.
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