The much-anticipated delivery of the InterHealth Canada Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital's new GE SIGNA™ 1.5T Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine completed a successful transfer from overseas to its new home at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre on Wednesday, June 29.
Under a cloudless, beautiful sky and welcoming sunny weather, the GE SIGNA™ 1.5T MRI was skillfully and expertly lifted into the air using a massive crane onto a conveyor belt that allowed the unit with some manpower to glide into the MRI plant room. And Just like that, a new era of precision medicine is set to begin at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government is committed to improving health care across the Turks and Caicos Islands on all levels explained The Minister of Health and Human Services Honourable Jamell Robinson
"Having access to technology like the GE SIGNA™ 1.5T is fantastic news. This MRI replacement project, in particular, will significantly and positively impact families in our communities that need access without unnecessary wait times.
“But as a growing Country, continued investments in health care are also critical for doing everything possible to ensure our residents receive the care they need close to home, resulting in better health outcomes overall.
“As the Minister of Health, I will continue to be committed to protecting and improving the quality and safety of health care services in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This MRI replacement project has been a long-time planning, and I am very much delighted to see that it is on Island and will be operational soon. Congratulations to the project team", stated Hon. Robinson.
The GE SIGNA™ 1.5T MRI's arrival marks a significant milestone in the Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital, and it demonstrates a commitment to excellence, and people-centred care, while developing more seamless and integrated health services for the Turks and Caicos Islands Community, explained the CEO of the Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital, Dr Denise Braithwaite-Tennant.
"I am absolutely delighted to see our brand-new GE SIGNA™ 1.5T MRI Scanner delivered to its new home at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre this week. This GE SIGNA™ 1.5T (MRI) is the first of its kind with artificial intelligence-enabled features in the Caribbean.
“ The installation of a new MRI and CT scan is a capital project sponsored by the Turks and Caicos Islands Government and InterHealth Canada. Overall, the GE SIGNA™ 1.5T MRI Scanner is designed to increase efficiency, improve productivity, maximize our diagnostic potential, and keep the patient experience at the forefront.
GE has utilized their over forty years of experience in Magnetic Resonance innovation to develop a system with an ingeniously simple, environmentally friendly design and future-ready capability. This is excellent news for our patients and the diagnostic imaging team using the new equipment with its advanced technology.
I want to say a huge thank you to our patients and colleagues for their patience during the project by accommodating the various changes in patient flow and our amazing and naturally excellent Project Team for their hard work on this historical and transformative project", said CEO Dr Braithwaite-Tennant.
"The next stage of the project will run over the next four weeks and will be focused on restoring the infrastructure, installation of the unit and training for all categories of staff. The MRI shall complete onsite quality and safety checks before service implementation.
“ Once these key pieces of the project plan are completed, it's anticipated that MRI exams for patients will begin on schedule in early August. Our aim is to make each patient's experience a more pleasant one," stated Pheona Brown- Watson, Project Manager.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital have embarked upon an ambitious three-year strategic plan under the theme "Exceeding Expectations". This plan focuses on excellence, sustainability and people-centred services. Our partnership with the Turks and Caicos Government is a key enabler in the plan's success, with the foundation being our shared vision of excellence in health care for the people of the TCI.