A HITACHI 912 chemistry analyser, used for the testing of body fluids, such as blood, serum, plasma or urine, has been commissioned into service at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in Montego Bay.
The equipment, which was procured by the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) at a cost of $36 million, will significantly improve the laboratory's analysing capability to cover 720 tests per hour. The current system performs 30,000 tests per month.
The acquisition represents the first phase of the improvement programme being undertaken by WHRA at hospitals in the western region, as similar, though smaller, equipment will also be installed at the Savanna-la-Mar and Falmouth hospitals within a couple of months.
CALL FOR CHANGE IN SECTOR
Chief executive officer at the CRH, Everton Anderson, in his address at the commissioning ceremony last Friday, thanked the WRHA for providing the machinery and called for cooperation as the necessary changes were put in place to improve efficiency within the health sector.
In her remarks, regional director of the WRHA, Dr. Sheila Campbell-Forrester, said that the improvement in the hospital's laboratory services, which would come about as a result of the introduction of the new analysing machine, would add to the quality of care that the WRHA was striving to achieve.
EXTENDED SERVICES
She said that inasmuch as the mandate of the health authority was to ensure the well-being of residents within the western region, oftentimes services were extended beyond the region to include even foreigners.
She urged clients to pay their fees, noting that the money would go towards the improvement of healthcare.
The Hitachi 912 chemistry analyser will be able to process serum, plasma, urine, cerbo spinal fluid (CSF), and hemolystate, including other tests that were discontinued because of lack of proper equipment.
It is described as a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that will be able to interface with any laboratory information system, enabling clinicians to access results in a timely manner.
Members of staff of the CRH's chemistry laboratory were trained and certified in the use of the machine.
