A mobile CT unit is being installed to ensure patients can access CT scans at Saskatoon City Hospital, the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) says.
The transportable unit is being installed in the visitor parking lot northwest of the hospital on Tuesday. It will be ready for patients to use around mid-August, the authority said in a news release, adding that the SHA will ensure the imaging technology remains accessible as the hospital’s existing scanner is removed and replaced.
The mobile scanner is expected to be on hospital grounds for about five months, according to the provincial organization. During this time, the new replacement scanner will be installed, tested and commissioned.
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The SHA said it is not anticipating any planned interruptions during the months-long project.
“The temporary mobile CT unit will allow us to provide essential CT services while we install advanced imaging technology that will support timely diagnosis and treatment for years to come,” Kevin Hare, vice-president of provincial clinical and support services with SHA, said in the release.
CT scanners use X-rays to develop images of organs and other bodily systems, including blood vessels, bones and the spinal cord. Patients lie on its bed while a scanner technician guides the bed into the large machine, which scans them from all angles.
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The image can be used to study various parts of the body and can identify tumours, blood clots or other ailments.
The hospital’s new scanner will further the facility’s diagnostic capabilities, the CEO of the Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation, Steve Shannon, said in the release.
“This is the first step in a significant investment in diagnostic imaging for our community,” Shannon said. The new scanner at Saskatoon City Hospital will have advanced technology to produce better-quality images faster.
The Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation raised the $2.9 million required for this replacement project in 10 months. Shannon said funds were collected by the foundation and its donors, including a $1 million donation from Saskatoon philanthropists the Dubé family.