Korle Bu MRI, CT scan services restored, Africano Healthcare repairs machines
The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital has restored Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and CT scan services 10 months after the country’s biggest referral hospital shut down its Advance Imaging Centre because of a breakdown of its machines.
The two machines, alongside the ultrasound systems, broke down last year compelling the healthcare professionals to refer patients in need of care to seek those services in private facilities.
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The machines which were damaged and ineffective were repaired by Africano Healthcare, representatives of Canon Medical Systems, suppliers of the equipment.
Back up
Speaking at the re-commissioning of the facilities, the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr Daniel Asare, said the hospital was aware of the challenges patients went through because of the breakdown of the machines.
He said the management and the board were considering having a backup to ensure that the facilities run 24 hours to reduce the cases of breakdown.
“We want to ensure that patients receive uninterrupted and continuous quality care,” he said.
Dr Asare said the hospital planned to ensure that it became the one-stop shop for everything diagnostics.
“If you can’t get it in Korle Bu, then you cannot get it in Egypt or in Dubai. That is what we are trying as much as possible to do,” he said.
He said a CCTV camera would be installed to prevent unidentified people from taking advantage of loopholes in the system to make money.
Extra facilities
The MRI machines at the KBTH were installed in 2013 as part of a programme to get them in some teaching and referral hospitals.
The others were installed at the Volta Regional Teaching Hospital in Ho, the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
All the machines broke down in 2017, resulting in great discomfort to patrons and medical practitioners at the facilities.
The Board Chairman of the hospital, Dr Bernard Oko Boye, said the hospital was working on plans to have two or three similar facilities to serve as a buffer so that “even when we are doing something to our machine, we would not drive patients in the night to go and take CT scan somewhere. “
He said the board was considering a Public Private Partnership arrangement with another supplier for a second MRI/CT scan line to have about two or three of the systems working at the same time.
He urged members of staff of the Radiology Department of the hospital to cooperate fully to ensure that the machines worked efficiently.
Training
Earlier, Africano Healthcare organised a seminar for radiologists in Accra, at which some of the latest technologies that facilitate MRI and CT scan services were exhibited.
Among them were ultrasound devices and an echo station device for measuring bone density.
A Managing Partner of Africano Healthcare, Mr Mohammed Elkaliouby, said the company made use of the latest technology to restore the machines.
He added that after successfully fixing the scan devices at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and KBTH, the company was now focused on restoring the three others.
Speaking at the re-commissing ceremony, another Managing Partner of Africano Healthcare, Mr Shawki Fattal, said the hospital’s CT scan was state-of-the-art although it was manufactured six years ago.
He observed that the equipment were made to serve patients for decades as there were good examples of MRI and CT scans that had lasted for 15 to 20 years because of good maintenance culture.
“We will work with the hospital authorities to keep the equipment running for years to come to serve Ghanaians,” he said.