Nova Scotia's Hospitals Receive New Medical Equipment

Nova Scotians will get medical tests, treatment and care more quickly thanks to new medical equipment in communities across the province. The new equipment, announced today, Nov. 18, will be paid for with the $15 million available to the province this year from the federal medical equipment fund.

"People from Yarmouth to Sydney will benefit from this new equipment," said Premier John Hamm. "As part of our plan to reduce wait lists, we have worked with our district health authorities in selecting the best pieces to meet the diverse health care needs of Nova Scotians."

Equipment includes cancer, surgical and X-ray equipment, anesthesia machines and laboratory devices, mammography and ultrasound units.

Annapolis Valley Health will receive $900,000 worth of new urology and ultrasound equipment. The urology service will mean a 20 per cent quicker turnaround in test results, while the new ultrasound unit will increase service volume by 50 per cent and improve picture quality, allowing for a more detailed diagnosis for mothers and babies.

The Cape Breton District Health Authority will receive a $1- million investment in a blood analyzer system, anesthesia equipment and radiography equipment. The radiography equipment will reduce patient waiting time in the department by 50 to 60 per cent. The new blood analyzer system will reduce technical operating time by 400 hours.

The new equipment will allow diagnostic tests to be completed more quickly and efficiently, ultimately reducing stress and long wait times for patients. Other equipment being purchased across Nova Scotia includes ultrasound units in St. Martha's Regional Hospital and Digby General Hospital, a patient monitoring system in the Aberdeen Hospital, anesthesia machines for Colchester Regional Hospital and Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre, a Vitek lab for Yarmouth Regional Hospital, and radiography unit for South Shore Health. The IWK Health Centre will receive new X- ray and ultrasound equipment, while Capital Health will benefit from state-of-the-art surgical equipment and a high speed linear accelerator to treat cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.

Hospitals and nursing homes across the province will also receive $1 million to purchase equipment such as patient lifts and special tubs that will comfort patients and ease workload for nurses in hospitals and nursing homes. More than $1.1 million will also be provided to expand a technology network for the digital transfer of X-rays, CAT scans and other diagnostic images among hospitals across the province. This technology, called picture archiving communications system (PACS), will mean better information sharing and faster diagnosis.

Increased access to MRIs is another important part of the province's plan to reduce wait lists. The department is now determining the best use of existing MRIs, as well as where additional MRIs may be needed. The consultations will also determine what kind of MRIs work best and how the greatest number of patients can access them. This will guide spending decisions for medical equipment funding in the next two years.

In February 2003, the First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal was released. The accord included a commitment for Nova Scotia of $45 million over 3 years -- $15 million each year, beginning in 2003-04, for diagnostic medical equipment.