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Funding boost for new CT machine

Tuesday, December 29, 2020 ct scan
Funding boost for new CT machine
The new machine, which has the capacity to do brain and heart scans, will increase scanning capacity by 25 per cent.

Bendigo Health has received a $800,000 state-government funding grant for a new CT machine, enabling the health service to boost scanning capacity by 25 per cent.

Bendigo Health Board Chair Bob Cameron said the new machine, due in early 2021, will allow the health service to cater for increasing demand for its service.

“Now we are a 24/7 heart hospital and we do a lot of brain scans for stroke victims it’s very important we have two CT scanners to meet that demand going forward,” he said.

Bendigo Health scans 10,000 patients on both its machines each year. The new machine will replace and older model, which doesn’t have the capacity to do brain and heart scans.

“As we’ve gone more and more to becoming a 24/7 hospital we’ve had to make sure we’ve got the capacity to help people from across the region,” he said.

“The new machine will give us capacity to increase by 20-25 per cent and that’s important as we do know demand for our services continue to grow.”

The funds have been provided through the State Government Medical Equipment Replacement Program.

State Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said CT scanners were an integral part of hospital equipment.

“Because Bendigo Health is a major regional hospital it’s really important to have the best medical equipment available for those people who live in regional areas,” she said.