[File Photo]

The Ministry of Health is addressing the increased demand for medical scans at the Colonial War Memorial hospital, averaging over 150 patients daily for x-rays and ultrasound.

Despite staff shortages, Superintendent Jimaima Quimivitua at the Radiology Department has introduced three shifts to manage the workload and avoid result delays.

Acknowledging the importance of multitasking and adaptation, Quimivitua emphasizes the necessity of keeping pace with the rising demand.

“They are not keeping up to par with them because the caseload is just a lot. So that’s why the doctors themselves have to report films every day, and they have the many modalities that we have.”

She emphasizes the imperative to upgrade aging equipment to meet the increasing demand for medical scans.

“Like everything else that is about to reach this age, it starts to cause problems now, and then it goes out for a while. There are times we have to outsource it to another private facility that serves on an emergency and on an assessment kind of basis.”

MoH also reveals a proactive approach by training other health staff to conduct specific medical scans, alleviating the strain on the limited workforce at the hospital.