New X-ray department at Lydenburg Hospital
On Wednesday June 1, the Lydenburg Hospital officially opened its new X-ray department.
On Wednesday June 1, the Lydenburg Hospital officially opened its new X-ray department.
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This Siemens Multi X Impact C
machine is the first of its kind on the
African continent and one of three that the Mpumalanga Department of Health has started using at its hospitals.
The newly upgraded X-ray department
was completed in early 2022 and has
replaced the 21-year-old analogue machine.
Matoli (community service radiographer), Dr Kazadi Kayembe, Lillian Lediga, Neo
Mokwena and Almari Coetsee (senior radiographer).
Kayembe (clinical manager), Ivy Tshabalala (chairperson, Lydenburg Hospital Board), Ncumisa
Ndlovu, Andrea van den Berg (Tecmed), (back) Pharais Mogane (director, District Hospital Services, Ehlanzeni District Office) and Dr Dumisani Simelane (Siemens).
This brings the department into the
21st century with fully digital images and The machine is a high-performance,
ceiling-mounted radiography system. It
provides high-quality world-class images,
and as the images are immediately available to the physician, as well as stored in a digital format, it reduces the need for expensive X-ray consumables, such as film and chemicals.
It is an effective paperless system.
(director, Health Technology Management), Nkosinathi Zondo (deputy director, Hospital Projects Health Technology Management) and Andrea van den Berg (Tecmed).
As the images are easily retrievable by the doctor, this saves time and protects sensitive patient information.
Within the X-ray department, a patient
registration system, called the Radiology
Information System (RIS) is in place.
Once the patient’s information is captured, the information pulls through to the X-ray machine, allowing for the radiographer to view it.
On completion of the X-ray examination,
these images are sent to the Picture
Archiving and Communication System
(PACS) for archiving. A number of access
points, called workstations, have been
installed throughout the hospital, to enable the doctors to retrieve X-ray images from the PACS using a network system, to view the images in the wards and consultation rooms.
Also installed are a digital film printer
and CD robot for X-ray images to be copied when patients are transferred to referral hospitals. Besides the new fixed unit, the hospital
received a Browiner Mobile Sparkler
Digital Mobile Unit, which is also linked
via the network to the RIS and PACS
systems.
This mobile machine allows for critically
ill or injured patients to be treated in the
casualty or wards. Once the radiographers have returned to the X-ray department, the images are transferred to the PACS system and the images will be available on the workstations for the doctors to access. This machine was supplied by Tecmed, which prides itself on accurate imaging and excellent aftersales.
