May Pen Hospital Orthopaedic Department gets a boost

The Orthopaedic Department of the May Pen Hospital is now retrofitted with a digital mobile C-Arm machine, thanks to Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Project. The machine, which was acquired at a cost of US$86,780 ($10 million), will ensure the hospital serves a greater population of patients with a wider range of diagnosis.

The device provides high-resolution X-ray images in real time, enabling the physician to monitor progress at any point during the operation, and immediately make any corrections that may be required.

Consequently, the treatment results are better and patients recover quicker. Hospitals benefit from cost savings through fewer follow-up operations and from minimised installation efforts.

In his address at the official handover of the equipment recently, Minister of Health and Wellness Christopher Tufton said the focus going forward must be on maintenance and management. “You don’t just run a hospital, you must have a strong maintenance staff. You must have an engineer on staff, and that’s part of the way that we have to approach,” he said.

Tufton, in issuing a challenge to the deputy head of Japan’s mission, Shotoku Habukawa, said one of the things he would like to see as part of the way forward to deal with maintenance – something he said is lacking in the system.

“One of the things I would like to recommend is that one day we come to table, not just to announce the equipment, but to announce a few technically competent skill sets that will work with us to transfer some of that knowledge so that we ultimately will be able to do it on our own, and I am prepared to discuss and negotiate that with you,” Tufton said.

Currently, the waiting time for urgent surgeries is six to eight weeks and can be as long as a year for non-emergency cases.