University hospital opens fluoroscopy suite

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton officially opened the fluoroscopy suite at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in a ceremony today.

The health minister praised the partnership of the Tony Thwaites Wing, and welcomed the suite which is now available in the public health sector.

“My intervention is short, and it really captures the discussion around partnership. It is essential that we recognise that the new dispensation around healthcare and around treatment and around capacity building, coming on the heels of the worst global pandemic that we've had clearly in around 100 years, that we recognise that the future rests on partnerships,” said Tufton.

The opening of the Fluoroscopy Suite in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology will provide complete and accurate studies performed expeditiously, with attempts to minimise patient discomfort and delay while assisting referring physicians in answering clinical conundrums.

While many answers can be provided using cross-sectional imaging, fluoroscopy provides real-time visualisation of dynamic processes. Interventional Radiology heavily utilises fluoroscopy for image-directly biopsies, drainages, line placement, stents, etc.

Professor Joseph Plummer, Department Head of Surgery, Radiology, Anaesthesia, & Intensive Care, UHWI, highlighted that the fluoroscopy suite will not just be beneficial to department of medicine but several others.

“This fluoroscopic unit will be extended to the department of O&G, the department of internal medicine gastroenterology, paediatrics, psychiatry, and the entire complement – school of medical radiation technology and school of nursing,” said Plummer.

“By having this new unit, it will allow us to intervene for all the various things you can imagine. The entire gamut of modern medicine can take place using a diagnostic and interventional fluoroscopic unit.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Sundeep Shah, Department Head of Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology, UHWI indicated that fluoroscopy is x-rays in action.

“It is the art and science of using these x-rays in action to create a result. You might also ask what's the big deal. Fluoroscopy is still vital in both the diagnostic and interventional realm,” said Shah.

Mark Thwaites, board chairman of the Tony Thwaites Wing, said that the fluoroscopy suite is long in coming but he is happy that it is now completed and that patients in Jamaica will have the use of the machine than having to travel elsewhere.

“It shows that private and public sector partnership is possible and can work. I am proud that we assisted in procuring the fluoroscopy machine. The University Hospital of the West Indies and TTW has been in partnership – financial partnership since 1996. And between 1996 and projected to the beginning of next year when we bring in the new chillers for the operating theatre and ICU it will amount to close to 700 million dollars of support that we have extended,” said Thwaites.

The new Phillips Combidiagnost Unit was donated by the Tony Thwaites Wing and supplied by International Med-X to the UHWI. This is a state-of-the-art digital fluoroscopic unit with an additional digital x-ray unit to supplement the x-ray capabilities of the department.

The refurbishing of the building is projected at J$31.3 million and the equipment for the unit is J$76.1 million.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.