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Installation of North Battleford’s new computed tomography scanner is complete and the first patient examination with the new equipment was performed recently.
“It’s an exciting day for all of us in the Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH) Medical Imaging Department,” said Colais Fransoo, manager. “We are thrilled to be able to work with the up-to-date technology the new scanner provides, and to deliver faster more precise diagnostics for our patients.”
“I am happy to have had the first appointment for a scan with this amazing new machine,” said Roland Bru of North Battleford. “It’s a great addition to patient care at our local hospital. It’s nice to have the new machine here as it means a lot less travelling for me and for others.”
The $1.2 million project included purchase of the new 160-slice scanner and renovation to the CT suite to accommodate the unit. The machine replaces the original 16-slice CT scanner that launched the CT program at BUH in January 2006. The government of Saskatchewan and the Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation each contributed $600,000 for the 2017 project, with renovations to the suite done by Prairie North Health Region’s Trades Department personnel.
The original scanner at BUH was decommissioned on Aug. 8 this year. To ensure that patients could continue to receive the CT scans they required, PNHR brought in a mobile CT unit.
The mobile unit will now be transferred to Lloydminster for use at Lloydminster Hospital until installation is complete of a new CT scanner there. That installation begins Sept. 25 with completion expected the first week of November. Lloydminster patients will likewise see no disruption in CT services while the new equipment is being installed, thanks to access to the mobile CT unit.
The Lloydminster scanner is being purchased with the support of the Government of Saskatchewan and the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation, each contributing $600,000 to the project. Improvements to the Lloydminster Hospital’s CT suite will be done by the PNHR Trades Department.
A public event celebrating the improved CT service in North Battleford will be held Friday Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. in the main lobby of BUH. Everyone is welcome.
An event to mark completion of the Lloydminster CT project will be set at a later date.
