A new computed tomography (CT) scanner at the Swan Valley Health Centre will soon bring key diagnostic services closer to home for residents of the Swan Valley region.
Premier Wab Kinew announced Thursday, “This is a beautiful corner of our province that has a great deal to offer the people who live here – and they shouldn’t have to leave to receive diagnostic care. Our government recognizes Swan Valley is a place to grow and build, and one of the ways we’re doing that is by investing in a CT scanner to serve local people and expand the excellent work being done by health-care providers in and around the community.”
The province provided more than $2 million in capital funding for the purchase and installation of the new CT scanner, as well as renovations of a space at the health-care facility. This was matched by a contribution of more than $1 million from the Town of Swan River and surrounding communities. The province will also provide funding for the operating costs of the CT scanner, approximately $400,000 per year.
“Manitobans shouldn’t have to travel far from home to get the diagnosis they need to begin treatment,” said Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “This new scanner, which the folks from the surrounding communities have steadfastly championed, offers local access to care. It also helps expand diagnostic capacity beyond hospitals in Brandon, Dauphin and Winnipeg which until now have performed all the needed CT scans for patients from this area.”
The new CT scanner arrived on April 2 and installation is mostly complete. Two existing X-ray technologists from Swan Valley Health Centre have been trained to operate the new scanner with final training and testing of the machine scheduled to begin later this month. The CT scanner is expected to be operational next month, noted the minister.
“The new CT scanner will reduce the need for patients to travel long distances, sometimes involving overnight stays, to access the care they need,” said Mohammed Bhabha, executive director of diagnostic imaging operations, Shared Health. “The new scanner will also reduce pressures on emergency response services who often transport these patients while opening up appointments in other communities – allowing more people to get the care they need sooner. We look forward to bringing this scanner online next month and congratulate the community for its persistence and support of this initiative.”
The 52-bed Swan Valley Health Centre serves a population of 14,000 in the Swan Valley region.
“Together, with our health partners and stakeholders, we are very excited that the plan to bring a CT scanner to the Swan Valley Health Centre is entering its final stages,” said Treena Slate, chief executive officer, Prairie Mountain Health. “As a large geographic health region, this initiative further aligns with the provincial vision to bring services as close to home as possible for patients, residents and families. We look forward to the CT scanner being operational later this summer.”
The minister noted the new equipment and renovated space will create a better experience for hospital staff and support ongoing local staffing recruitment and retention efforts.
