The Minister for Health and Active Ageing Jo Etienne Abela has announced an important step forward in cardiac care for Gozitan and Maltese patients with the introduction of the new Cardiac CT and Cardiac MRI services at the Gozo General Hospital.
Minister Jo Etienne Abela said that following the recent acquisition of two state-of-the-art MRI and CT Scan scanners, the Gozo General Hospital can now offer detailed and non-invasive heart tests, allowing for earlier and more accurate diagnosis. He explained how the introduction of Cardiac CT allows for rapid detection of heart artery disease in low and intermediate risk patients as well as precise visualisation of the heart valves and aorta in certain patients. While the introduction of Cardiac MRI offers in-depth examinations of heart function as well as heart inflammation, scarring of the heart muscle as well as the assessment of heart valves.
Thanks to the collaboration of the Department of Medical Imaging in Malta and Gozo headed by Dr Melvin D’Anastasi, and the Department of Cardiology, this service will allow for efficient diagnosis and advanced treatment of heart disease, reducing the need for patients to travel to Malta for specialist services, while also highlighting the government’s commitment to developing health services and improving outcomes for Gozitan and Maltese patients.
“Thanks to the investment of around €5 million in recent months at the Gozo Hospital, not only have we seen the waiting list for MRI and CT Scans completely eliminated, but it has also been possible for us to now start offering these services in Gozo itself. As a Government we are committed to continuing to expand and introduce more services to help more Maltese and Gozitan patients,” concluded the minister.
Photo: MHA
