X-ray: coming soon...

The Ola During Children’s Hospital is very close to having the x-ray unit up and running. This is very exciting especially since it has been 6 years since the last x-ray was taken at Ola During. Can you imagine?

Currently children need to travel across town to Connaught Hospital for x-rays, which basically takes them half of the day to get it done and often they need to go back for the film and report the next day. It also means that children whose condition is unstable cannot have x-rays taken because there is no way to transport them safely, especially if they are in need of oxygen. There is no portable oxygen here. So, again, this is exciting.

The x-ray unit will complement the ultrasound machine in forming the radiology department, which is shared between Ola During Children’s Hospital and Princess Christian Maternity Center. In the end of June I was told that the Ministry of Health and Sanitation promised to deliver an x-ray unit to the Children’s/Maternity Hospital Compound. Honestly, I was a bit skeptical. However, they kept their word and mid-July an x-ray machine was delivered to the radiology department. Step one was complete, now onto the next step: assembling/installing the unit. This of course brought to light various hurdles but the doctor in the radiology department overcame them. The final step seems to be connecting the processor to the water system, although a temporary measure could be to use the old processor. It might sound easy to connect something to the water system, but believe me, the water system at the hospital is complicated and often very problematic, so this step to will take a little time. Soon though, the unit will be up and running. If the old processor is used, it could be as early as next week. I’ll be sad to not be here for that, but very happy to meet an x-ray unit up and running on my return.

Let’s hope that the x-ray department starts functioning soon. It will improve clinical care for the children and it will also bring the hospital one step closer to being accredited as a teaching hospital. Ola During is moving forward one step at a time...