The Government’s Ministry of Health & Social Services and the Programme Management Office are pleased to confirm the on-island arrival of Montserrat’s first-ever Computed Tomography (CT) Scanner.
This major new piece of diagnostic equipment – a Philips 64 Slice Scanner – was funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)’s Improving Essential Equipment Programme, and procured by the PMO on behalf of MOHSS from regional imaging technology experts, International MedX.
The scanner will be safely stored until a new concrete platform and other enabling works are completed at the hospital site. In January 2024, the bespoke containerized unit is scheduled to be delivered and installed on the site, into which the CT Scanner will be transferred and commissioned. Systems integration and staff training will follow, prior to the service being made available to the public later in 2024.
This project enables the benefits of improved medical imaging for patients prior to the commissioning of the new hospital. Once the new hospital facility is ready, the CT Scanner will be relocated to its permanent home in a specially designed imaging suite.
The new scanner will help to confirm patient diagnoses, improve early detection of a range of medical conditions, reduce the need for overseas diagnostic referrals, and ultimately save lives.
This is one part of a range of investments in medical equipment to improve diagnostic capability and outcomes for patients. Earlier this year saw the arrival of Montserrat’s new PlanMed 3D Mammography machine which will be installed in a specially refurbished section of the existing hospital in November 2023, and made available for use in the first quarter of 2024. This is being supported by the procurement and implementation of a new imaging software solution, known as PACS (picture archiving and communication system). Other equipment funded by the FCDO business case, including crash carts, a neonatal transport incubator, and a new oxygen-generating plant, have also been successfully procured.
Please keep posted for more updates as these key advances in medical technology come on stream and deliver new services to Montserrat’s population.