The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne inaugurated a new investment of €1.1 million in the Emergency Department of the Mater Dei Hospital, which will translate into a CT Scanner with state-of-the-art technology, which provides better quality images. “This makes it possible for the diagnosis of patients to be more accurate and done faster,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
This machine with technology that provides clearer and more accurate photos, will be used in emergency cases and will give priority to those who need urgent care. This machine also has the potential to improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs by providing more efficient and effective treatment, as well as reducing radiation during the test.
This new CT Scanner does not only have benefits for patients, but also for health professionals, in particular those working in the Emergency Department, who will not need to send patients to a department another to do the test, but they do it in the Emergency itself. It is estimated that around 50 people a day who enter the Emergency will need a CT Scan.
“Until a few days ago, patients who needed a CT Scan from the Emergency were sent to the Department of Radiology, where they would last about another hour. Today, with the new device, we are winning about 50 minutes in the process until someone starts receiving treatment quickly in the Emergency,” Minister Fearne explained.
In 2013, around 27,000 CT Scans were performed, while last year, they rose to 55,000. Likewise, MRIs and Ultrasounds have increased. From 10,000 MRIs in 2013, 38,000 were done last year. In 2013, 38,000 Ultrasounds were performed, and these rose to more than 60,000 last year. Meanwhile, the Medical Director of Mater Dei Hospital, Joseph Debono, pointed out the great advantage of this investment, thanks to the accessibility of the machine and the fact that it uses the latest technology. All this translates into better quality and care for the patient.
