Muhimbili CT scanner kaput - again

Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) has once again suspended indefinitely the services of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine and Computerised Tomography (CT) scanner.

 

 

A CT scan is used to define normal and abnormal structures in the body and/or assist in procedures by helping to accurately guide the placement of instruments or treatments. A large donut-shaped X-ray machine or scanner takes X-ray images at many different angles around the body.

 

The MNH spokesperson, Aminiel Eligaisha was speaking to the press in Dar es Salaam yesterday just five days after the scanner was re-activated as a result of an impromptu visit by President Dr John Magufuli.

 

Magufuli’s visit at the national hospital established that the two machines were not functioning for more than two-months. As a result the President had ordered the hospital management to re-activate the devices within 14 days.

 

The hospital had claimed that the CT-scan was not in good order, and that the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare was well informed, but, Philips—a contracted service provider clogged servicing the machines because of maintenance debt.

 

The central government immediately released 3bn/- to cover the debt, allowing the service contractor to thoroughly analyse the magnitude of the problems for the MRI and CT-scan at the national hospital.

 

According to Eligaisha, CT scan at MNH is badly needed and figures shows the device daily basis.

 

In the same vein, the machines are large, tube-shaped magnets and used to produce 3-D images that may be viewed from many different angles. 

 

A patient is required to lie inside an MRI machine; the magnetic field temporarily realigns hydrogen atoms in the body. 

 

Radio waves cause aligned atoms to produce very faint signals, which are used to create cross-sectional MRI images — like slices in a loaf of bread.

 

Eligaisha told reporters in the city at least 10 to 15 patients are admitted daily for MRI and the hospital owes Philips a whopping US$400,000 for repair and maintenance.

 

“We have agreed to clear the debt in special arrangement through April next year,” he said.

 

MNH head of communication unit said after the earlier repair for the MRI machine, the device managed to operate on November 11 and 12, just to realise it required intensive maintenance. 

 

“We stopped operations on November 13. In the meantime a team of technicians were also assessing the actual problem of the CT-scan and after a long investigation the technicians established that the two had bigger technical shortfalls.”

 

He said the technician established that MRI machine had problems on a radio frequency amplifier, (RF amplifier), a tuned amplifier that amplifies high-frequency signals used in radio communications and required replacement.

 

The technicians also realised that Image re-constructor (server) and Inverter Power Supply on the CT-scan were defective. 

 

“All the gadgets are not available in the country and we have ordered them from Netherlands under certificate of urgency and we expect the service would turn to normalcy within this week,” he said during the press conference.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN