New CT scan machine planned for the Shawville Hospital later this year
New CT scan machine planned for the Shawville Hospital later this year
After some delays, the process to replace the computerized tomography (CT) scan machine at the Shawville Hospital has gotten underway this year.
CHIP 101.9 spoke with Zied Ouechteti, the deputy director of diagnostic services with regional health authority CISSSO, who explained that the machine was originally scheduled to be replaced in 2021, but was delayed due to a variety of factors. The machine in Shawwville was put into service in 2010 and he added that they typically have a lifespan of 10 to 12 years, depending on their usage and other factors.
The process of acquiring the machines is done through the Centre d’acquisition gouvernementale, a centralized government department for procuring goods and services. The CISSSO has already mandated the organization to replace the equipment in the provincial call for tenders and the contract has been awarded, with a start date of March 1, 2023. Ouechteti said that this week there was a discussion with the chosen supplier, the company Siemens, as well as different members of his department to discuss the specifics of the machine that would be required in Shawville. He said that once the specifications are finalized, the company takes roughly 90 days to build the machine. He said they would be meeting next week to determine the extent of the renovations and plan the installation process at the Shawville Hospital.
Ouechteti said that the details still have to be finalized, but the machines typically cost in the neighbourhood of $1 million. Once they know more about the specifications of the machine that has been chosen, they will have a better idea of the cost and length of installation as well.
He said that if all goes smoothly, they hope to have the machine installed, calibrated, and operational by the fall or later in the year. He explained that the process with this kind of machine is lengthy for a reason.
A CT scan is an important diagnostic tool for physicians that uses multiple x-rays shots to create a detailed image of the interior of a patient’s body. It’s essential to have timely access to a scan in the case of a stroke for example, or to assess the extent of an internal injury in an emergency.
In the last few years of its lifespan, Shawville’s machine has been inoperable, either because of equipment failures or scheduled maintenance dozens of times. According to data from CISSSO, since January 2020, the machine has experienced 24 equipment failures, and had scheduled maintenance 41 times. CISSSO spokesperson Camille Brochu-Lafrance said that the equipment failures last about 24 hours on average and scheduled maintenance averages about 6 hours.
