CT Scanner
26 September 2006
GF Jooste Hospital is having a double celebration today, the acquisition of
a new R4 million Computerised Tomography (CT) Scanner and the hospital's 30th
birthday.
A combined effort by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health and
the Pinelands Rotary Club has brought the new CT scanner to the hospital.
"The arrival of such much needed piece of equipment is great news for the
medical and surgical patients at the hospital," said Pierre Uys Minister of
Health for the Western Cape. Many HIV positive patients who are faced with
abnormal neurological signs require this scanner for treatment.
"The scanner will also enable medical staff at the hospital to do patient
examinations relatively quick as it will examine 10 patients per day it will in
turn reduce the waiting list for patient examinations drastically," Uys said.
It is anticipated that the scanner will do about 50 scans per week and the
majority of these would be tuberculosis (TB) and HIV related neurology. "The
length of the patient's hospital stay will be reduced by up to three days, thus
reducing transport and escort costs and time," Uys added.
The CT scanner will be used to detect ailments in three categories of
patients:
* surgical patients (patients with head injuries, abdominal injuries)
* medical patients (75 percent of the patients who will be examined by the
scanner will be patients with abnormal neurological signs). Infectious disease
patients (HIV and AIDS, TB, etc) and patients with tumours on their brain also
fall in this category
* stroke patients (the hospital has a six-bed stroke unit).
In 1996 the hospital was re-commissioned as an emergency hospital as the
need for such an emergency facility was critical at the time. This still
remains its function today, as there is a high level of trauma cases. It's been
30 years since the hospital opened its doors to the widespread communities it
serves. GF Jooste Hospital has developed into not just a hospital but also a
place that offers support and comfort to the poor.
Enquiries:
Herman van der Westhuizen
Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 082 772 9161
Mark van der Heever
Cell: 073 9422 902
Issued by: Department of Health, Western Cape Provincial Government
26 September 2006
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)
