Mqondisi Dube
13 November 2008
Selebi- Phikwe — The radiology units in the three major hospitals in Bobirwa and Selebi-Phikwe regions have been paralysed because the authorities are installing new X-Ray machines.
As a result, Bobonong and Selebi-Phikwe government hospitals have not been doing X-Rays for more than a month and patients have been referred to Mmadinare Primary Hospital.
However, the installation work for new X-Ray facilities at the Mmadinare Hospital began this week and this means radiological services in the two districts have been paralysed.
Oscar Mathumo, a senior technical officer at the Selebi-Phikwe government hospital said the old machines are obsolete and that that is why they have decided to replace them. He said the X-Ray machines at the three hospitals are more than 10 years old and there is no support service from the supplier after Siemens Botswana closed down. The Selebi-Phikwe machine is 14 years old although the lifespan of the facility is 10 years.
Mathumo said new Toshiba machines have been installed at the Selebi-Phikwe and Bobonong hospitals and are now awaiting commissioning from the Radiation Protection Unit. "The machines have become too old and are no longer serviced by the supplier.
They were operating at half optimum because some X-Rays which require high radiation like chest, pelvis and the skull could not be carried out," Mathumo said. He added that the machines could not cope at high radiation exposure and often blew fuses.
He said although the timing of replacing the machines had inconvenienced patients, it is good to have functioning facilities rather than faulty ones. "It was as good as not having a machine," Mathumo said in reference to the old machines. He defended the timing adding that many patients require X-Ray facilities during the festive season as a result of the high number of road accidents.
He stated that Selebi-Phikwe and Bobonong asked to be given priority in the installation of new machines. Mathumo expressed hope that the new machines will be commissioned by the end of next week.
Selebi-Phikwe government hospital chief medical officer, Edward Kunda said they will try to push the Ministry of Health for a quick commissioning of the machines. He said the absence of X-Ray services did not stop patients from receiving treatment. "X-Ray is not a treatment and the absence of X-Ray facilities should not deprive patients of correct diagnosis. As doctors, we should be able to correctly position patients, although there are certain conditions like TB which require X-Rays," Kunda said.
He explained that it was a blessing in disguise that the machines were being replaced to improve efficiency although it has created a crisis. Bobirwa and Selebi-Phikwe regions are the first to have the state-of-the-art X-Ray facilities.
Mmadinare Primary Hospital chief medical officer, Dr Allan Msuya said the installation of the new machines commenced this week and will last for six days. "We hope the machines in Bobonong and Selebi-Phikwe will be commissioned shortly. Otherwise this is a crisis which will only be solved after the commissioning (of the machines)," Msuya said.
Prior to the installation of the new machines, Msuya said Mmadinare Hospital was coping with rising numbers of patients referred from Selebi-Phikwe and Bobonong. He said it was a constraint to patients who had to travel long distances to seek X-Ray services.
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