Philips in the final stages of its road show: Ethiopia
Royal Philips Electronics with its local partner neuroMEDSS today announced their commitment to improve diagnostic healthcare facilities in Ethiopia by providing a broad range of advanced healthcare technologies in the country, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. Philips will install state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology in two of the leading public hospitals in Addis Ababa.
The Philips Achieva 1.5TA high-field MRI scanner will be installed at both St. Paul’s General and Specialized Hospital and at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, the two largest public hospitals in the country. Together both these hospitals treat patients coming from all over Ethiopia and the installation of the Philips Achieva 1.5T MRI in these institutions will provide advanced diagnostic capabilities for patients in their local environment. It will limit the need for those in need of care to travel overseas for advanced diagnostics which is a costly and time consuming option available only to a select few. Currently the facilities at both hospitals are being prepared for the installation of the MRI’s, which were purchased following a public tender earlier this year.
“We are very excited to have the Philips high-field MRI scanner installed at our hospital, as the new technology will be used to detect diseases with the greatest precision. This advanced MRI scanner will direct surgeons more accurately in preparing for operations. The Philips Achieva 1.5T high-field MRI scanner provides much higher visual representation of soft tissue, glands and organs, and joint and bone structures. Consequently, patients will benefit from earlier diagnosis and treatment options and the ability to receive advanced treatment locally, instead of going abroad to avail of the same.” explains Lia Tadesse, M.D/OBGyn, MHA; Vice Provost for Medical Services at St Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College.
Advanced imaging technology for improved healthcare access
The Philips Achieva 1.5TA high-field MRI scanner has higher resolution and faster scan times for increased performance. Higher field strengths enable very precise measurement that is used to view the smallest parts of the body. The system delivers clinical solutions for every application. The scanner also incorporates Philips’ exclusive SmartExam technology that enables an entire MR exam to be driven by a single mouse-click, increasing efficiency and scanning reproducibility.
Additionally, Philips has also replaced a very outdated CT scanner at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital with the MX 4000 Dual, a CT scanner that performs multi-slice imaging, has a simple user interface and faster scanning time, and is equipped with the Philips DoseWise approach for optimal dose efficiency thereby reducing radiation doses for patients. At St. Paul’s Hospital, Philips is installing the Brilliance 64 CT scanner - one of the most advanced, powerful and versatile systems on the market today. With 64-channel configuration, this system uses four times as many detectors as a typical multi-detector CT scanner. Combined with high image quality and remarkable scanning speed, it detects diseases earlier by being able to scan the smallest body parts.
“The healthcare market situation in Africa presents Philips with an enormous responsibility and also an enormous opportunity for the future,” says Mr. Roelof Assies, District and General Manager, Philips Healthcare Africa. “In emerging markets such as Ethiopia, increasing access to available healthcare systems and solutions is a serious challenge that needs urgent consideration and resolution. There is a rising demand for better quality healthcare that is advanced yet affordable; patients want personalized healthcare solutions and more emphasis on prevention and follow-up care. Philips’ ambition is to bring better and earlier detection and diagnosis and more effective patient treatment to the country. We want to help shorten hospital stays, reduce costs and improve the quality of people’s lives.”
“The Ethiopian Government has been very proactive in recognizing that healthcare expenditure is going to be a big burden on the economy and has placed huge emphasis on healthcare development. This is a very encouraging sign. Philips wants to support Ethiopia in upgrading the country’s healthcare system. Advanced medical technologies like MRIs can improve the hospital workflow by shortening exam times and leading to increased diagnostic confidence and a simpler patient and clinician experience overall. With the installation of advanced and easy-to-use healthcare equipment, the level of healthcare in Ethiopia is expected to increase considerably”, continues Assies.
Philips provides clinical training to increase quality of the healthcare workforce
To maximize the detection of disease in the earliest stage possible, physicians and healthcare professionals need clinical training in handling new healthcare technology. The World Health Organization has observed that the operational availability of medical equipment in Africa is less than 50 per cent, because clinicians and technicians do not know how to operate and maintain them respectively. Philips is committed to providing continuous education to advance and maintain clinical competencies.
Roelof Assies elaborates: “In Africa, the lack of trained and skilled healthcare professionals is an increasing challenge. Philips is a strategic partner in education, focusing on customer education and human capability development. In Ethiopia, we have already started training doctors and nurses on how to use the new Philips high-field MRI and CT scanning equipment. Hospital personnel will be able to run all applications independently, resulting in as much as 20 patient body scans per day. Additionally, as part of the roadshow, Philips is also conducting a two-day clinical training workshop on Mother and Child care for Obstetricians, Midwives, Maternity Nurses, Pediatricians, Ultrasound Practitioners and Radiologists from all over Ethiopia, to support the need for continuous training and education in the country”.
Philips Cape Town to Cairo 2011 road show
The announcement on the introduction of the high-field MRI’s to the Ethiopian market was made during the Addis Ababa stopover of Philips’ Cape Town to Cairo 2011 road show; during which Philips is traveling across Africa (from May 12 to July 11, 2011) to raise awareness about how relevant healthcare solutions can improve the quality of life across the continent. With this road show, Philips aims to create dialogue and cooperation between governments, local healthcare workforces, non-governmental organizations, foundations, healthcare professional associations and research institutions to help in particular mothers, newborn babies and children obtain care. The road show will address key healthcare needs and show how innovation can improve people’s lives, covering 12,000 kilometers in 62 days, and visiting a total of twelve countries
www.philips.com/africaroadshow
This article was originally posted on East Africa Business Communities
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