The stop-start bid to secure a life-saving CT scanner for Katherine is back on again.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The NT Government has released tenders for the purchase and installation of a scanner at Katherine hospital.
CT scans can be used to diagnose everything from strokes and cancers to head injuries and blood clots.
The government says the new scanner is scheduled to begin service early next year.
At the moment, a CT scanner is only available at a private clinic and some patients are forced to travel to Darwin to seek treatment.
Back in 2010, Dr Modher Al-Shawi wrote a paper on the need for a CT scanner at Katherine Hospital.
Dr Al-Shawi said patients with a head injury should be scanned no more than eight hours after the injury is inflicted.
“In rural settings, this presents significant challenges in terms of assess to diagnostic and interventional services,” Dr Al-Shawi said.
His study showed during a two month period in Katherine, seven patients were sent to Darwin for a CT scan following a traumatic head injury.
The average time between injury and scan was 27.7 hours for Katherine patients.
“All seven patients waited past the recommended maximum 8-hour mark for a CT scan,” Dr Al-Shawi said.
The new scanner and installation is expected to cost between $5-$10 million over a period of five years.
“The recent release of the tender for Katherine Regional Hospital’s new CT scanner marks a significant step towards improving the health and safety of the people of Katherine and the surrounding area,” Katherine MLA Sandra Nelson said.
“The new scanner, which produces cross-sectional images of the body, is used to diagnose head injuries, strokes, cancers and blood clots and is something that I have advocated for since my election.
“Combined with the $43 million dedicated to Katherine healthcare services in the 2018-19 Budget, will ensure that our hard working healthcare professionals can continue to provide high quality service.”