A new $3.5-million CT scanner is up and running at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.
The SPECT-CT scanner, primarily used for cancer staging and assessing ongoing treatments, reveals characteristics of diseases with information on organ size, tissue density and localization. The device works through imaging organ systems after a patient has been injected with small amounts of radioactive tracers.
The scanner is already installed, and according to the B.C. Ministry of Health, has been used by more than 200 patients since being added earlier this year.
In a press release, the ministry said that compared to the old model, the new equipment offers "significant efficiencies and improvements, including faster, more accurate scanning capabilities, improved diagnostics, and less obtrusive experiences for patients."
"It is critical that we continue investing in technologies and innovations to enhance the timely access to the medical results,” said Adrian Dix, B.C. minister of health. “With this significant investment into technologies that directly impacts the health and well-being of people, we are committed to helping and improving the quality of health care people receive, now and into the future.”
The province contributed $2.31 million for the purchase, while the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District's share was $1.14 million. Western Medical Canada Inc. was responsible for building the room and setting up the scanner.
