Before its installation, members of the public were paying
at least US$600 at private institutions as the service was not accessible in
public hospitals.
A similar scan is stationed at Parirenyatwa Group of
Hospitals in Harare to service the northern region.
MRI is a non-invasive medical imaging test that produces
detailed images of almost every internal structure in the human body, including
the organs, bones, muscles, and blood vessels.
MRI scanners create images of the body using a large magnet
and radio waves and can assist TB patients as well as pick up stroke, among
other benefits.
It comes with several advantages compared to CT scans as it
is less harmful to patients and provides clearer depictions, which lead to the
correct diagnosis.
Mpilo chief medical officer Dr Narcisius Dzvanga said an
application specialist for MR Philips Healthcare, Mr Piotr Ciszek, is in the
city conducting test runs at Mpilo this week as part of training before the
machine is fully handed over.
He said Mpilo radiographers have been trained on the safety
of the machine already and staff members in need of MRI scans will be accessing
them for free this week as part of test runs.
“As discussed in December the installation of the MRI
machine is now complete, the engineer and the trainer are on the ground, we got
a trainer from Poland who was brought in by the company as that is part of the
installation process,” said Dr Dzvanga.
“They are available for a whole week, and yesterday we went
through safety procedures regarding the MRI and it was a two-hour session
attended by staffers from the X-ray department.
“From today until Friday, we will be doing trial runs of
the machines on various parts of the body to see how clear the pictures are and
whether any faults can be identified before the complete handover.
“As of today, they have started doing the scans of the
brain; I think we have five patients for the day.”
Dr Dzvanga said the installation of the MRI brings joy to
specialists who for a long time have had to administer treatment without the
scans due to pricing.
“So, the consultants are excited about this as they have
always struggled to have these scans done in private for their patients so that
they can effectively give the ideal treatment,” he said.
“Our staff members are also excited some of them tried to
get the scan in town and could not afford so this is an opportunity for them to
do it. While we are doing the trial runs it’s free of charge, so if there are
any of our staff members awaiting MRI scan, they can come through, they have an
opportunity as we try the machine,” said Dr Dzvanga.
“Downstream it’s going to be a huge difference to clinical
care we will have more precise diagnosis and so forth and more precise
interventions. We have not yet done the costs; we stand guided by the parent
ministry and we will compare ourselves with Parirenyatwa Hospital as well
because they have a similar machine and then we see what is affordable for the
southern region.”
Mpilo specialist radiologist, Dr Davison Dzamatira, said
the training was going well and expressed optimism that the state-of-the-art
MRI scan would improve healthcare services at the public hospital.
“We have greater accuracy in pinpointing where the
anomalies are, it differs from a CT scan as it doesn’t use ionized radiation so
it’s less harmful to the patients, and also gives a more accurate depiction of
the soft tissue,” he said.
“With CT you get good depiction of bone soft tissues but
there are certain abnormalities where MRI is superior.”
Dr Dzamatira said stroke and TB patients stand to benefit
from the scan as well.
“One is able to pick up stroke with an MRI than a CT scan
and then patients that have TB, which can affect any organ of the body can get
it detected quickly in the brain or spine.
“This MRI will help surgeons when they plan for their
surgeries as they will have more accurate information to plan for their
interventions.
“With time we hope to include other sub-specialties
applications that will include cardiac assessment.”
Mpilo a 1 000-bed central hospital, is the second biggest in Zimbabwe and it
services the southern region, which includes Bulawayo, Masvingo, Midlands,
Matabeleland North and South provinces. Chronicle
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