It’s a critical piece of hospital equipment. A CT or computed tomography scanner allows a detailed look inside a patient’s body without cutting it open.
It’s equipment that’s often used for emergency room patients. However, the technology is in the diagnostic imaging department on the other side of the hospital and critically ill patients have to be transported there before being treated.
“If you could see it if somehow there could be a picture of these patients being taken down a long hallway very sick multiple tubes, multiple IVs, staff leaving the ER where they can get care to an area which is quite a ways away, it is a problem, ” says ER physician Dr. Shawn Spelliscy.
Now the ER At KGH is getting its own, brand new, state of the art CT scanner saving critical time in treating patients like stroke victims who require clot busting medication as quickly as possible.
“If we increase the amount of time available to us to give that drug by getting required studies which is a ct scan done first this will be immensely valuable,” says Spelliscy.
The 1.6 million dollar machine is being purchased through donations to the “be a life saver campaign” launched by the Kelowna General Hospital foundation. A big chunk of the money is coming from both the Rutland hospital auxiliary which runs a thrift shop on Dougall Road and the Kelowna Hospital Auxiliary which operates the newly opened Royal Bistro, coffee and gift shops at Kelowna General. The Winfield and Peachland Hospital Auxiliaries are also contributors.
It’s hoped the new CT Scanner will be purchased in the next year.
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