Bukoba — Kagera Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Albert Chalamila has hailed President Samia Suluhu Hassan for endorsing the purchase of a CT-scan machine for Bukoba Regional Referral Hospital's emergence unit and mobile clinic for testing Ebola suspects.
However, he appealed to the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), which is undertaking the construction of the CT scan room to speed up the work, so that the CT-Scan starts operation.
He also appealed to the government to consider allocating a substantial budget for medical equipment and other building materials, taking into consideration that Kagera region is far away from Dar es Salaam (over 1,000 kilometres away).
"On behalf of Kagera residents I thank President Samia Suluhu Hassan for approving the purchase of theCT-Scan machine for the Bukoba Regional Referral Hospital and a mobile clinic for testing Ebola suspects," he said.
Several Bukoba residents had raised concern that most of the patients who sustained head injuries from road accidents had to be referred to Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) in Mwanza City, because the Bukoba Regional Referral hospital lacked the essential equipment.
A Computed Tomography Scan (usually abbreviated to CT scan, formerly called computed axial tomography scan or DAT scan) is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body.
The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers or radiology technologists. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), on the other hand, is a non-invasive imaging technology that produces three dimensional detailed anatomical images.
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An MRI machine uses a powerful magnet to make images of your body. Unlike a CT scan, it does not use x-rays or other radiation.
Bukoba Regional Referral hospital was established in 1923 by Germans as a small health centre. It has bed capacity of 308 beds and attends an average of 560 out-patients and 160 in-patients daily.
Kagera region has a total of 336 health facilities including 17 hospitals, 38 health centres and 281 dispensaries.
According to the 2012 Population and Housing Census projections, the region had a population of 3.2 million.
By ensuring that health facilities are equipped to deliver comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services, we can effectively address the fatal complications of childbirth, including severe bleeding, infection, prolonged or obstructed labour, eclampsia and asphyxia in the newborn," he said.
