Selkirk Health Centre to receive new CT scanners

SELKIRK, Man. – Two new CT scanners will soon be contributing to the daily operations at the Selkirk Regional Health Centre in Manitoba. The move is made possible by a provincial investment of over $15 million, which aims to reduce patient wait times and double scanning capacity for the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority.

Currently, 17,000 scans are performed at the health centre. The investment could double that, bringing the number up to 34,000.

Mohammed Bhabha (pictured), the executive director of diagnostic imaging operations at Shared Health, said the new technology will improve patient care and outcomes. He noted that the scanners provide the centre with the modern equipment needed to make work more efficient.

Used to perform critical diagnostic procedures, CT scanners combine x-ray images to create detailed, three-dimensional models of structures inside the body.

Jacine Morley-Lecomte, minister of mental health and wellness, described the investment in the scanners as part of its ongoing effort to improve healthcare in the province.

“This investment will ensure Manitobans in and around Selkirk have better access to exceptional health-care services… Doubling the capacity in the Interlake-Eastern region means more patients have access to faster care closer to home and reduces the need to travel for CT scans.”

Work to install the scanners will begin later this year. They are expected to be fully operational by next year.