Faster diagnosis: Cutting edge X-ray machine now at Linden Hospital

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Saturday commissioned a technologically advanced US$130 thousand X-ray machine at the Linden Hospital Complex.

The state-of-the-art machinery will assist doctors with faster, more efficient diagnoses for patients. Six professionals have been trained so far to use the machine that significantly reduces radiation exposure when conducting X-rays for over 50 patients who visit the facility each day. This machine takes seconds to get results, whereas the previous machine took 20 minutes.

Several Ministers of Government were in attendance at the commissioning ceremony in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), including the Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh.

President Ali said the machine is symbolic of the Health Ministry’s transformation.

“With this capacity, we are now building a relationship with top doctors in India, Mount Sinai and Canada and instantaneously these results are connected with specialists across the world who can give us specialised opinion and second opinion,” the Head of State said.

The X-ray machine complements the country’s adopted telemedicine programme to deliver medical diagnoses from local hospitals and link them to international facilities.

Telepathology uses telecommunication to enable the electronic transmission of digital pathology images. With this programme, pathologists at the city hospital can send tests to worldwide facilities, therefore, reducing the turnaround time for images and test results.

Similarly, the X-ray machine can transfer digital images to any facility in the world.

The President said this machine will advance Guyana’s healthcare to become a premier service in the region.

“There is a bigger link, it is not only about talking about our own needs anymore; we are building infrastructure and structures far beyond what we require here in Guyana,” Dr Ali said.

Meanwhile, Dr Anthony said the hospital needed to be significantly enhanced with machinery to operate efficiently.

As such, the ministry procured the best quality and most optimal X-ray machine in the world.

“It’s not just an X-ray machine; this is one of the best, top-quality X-ray machine in the world.

“This is moving us in another league so to speak because of the quality of the machine and the quality of the X-rays,” the Health Minister said.

He also announced that a mammogram machine will be housed at the facility soon to assist with diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer there.