Chinese multinational appliance and electronics Manufacturer, Hisense has donated a hi-tech Ultrasound scan machine to the Ministry of Health (MOH). Sam Zhang Hao, the Executive Director of Hisense Uganda, says that the machine uses artificial intelligence in diagnosis.
He explained that the Ultrasound scan machine, which is valued at about Shillings 250 million is their first product and they wanted the government to be its first user to guarantee helpful feedback on its effectiveness. According to Eng. Deo Byabagambi, a Biomedical Engineer in the Ministry of Health, the machine was assessed for quality On Wednesday and what is pending now is assessing it while in use by the patients.
While the Ministry of Health has been stocking health facilities across the country with digital ultra-scans lately, Byabagambi says this is an updated version and is more digitalized. He explained that the machine keeps a record of a specific diagnosis made on a patient and has the capacity to track the data for comparison in case another patient shows up with similar signs.
It is not yet clear where the ministry intends to deploy the hi-tech Ultrasound scan machine. Margret Muhanga Mugisa, the Minister of Health in charge of Primary Healthcare who received the equipment said the ministry will acquire some of the reagents that they need to run the machine through the National Medical Stores.
She urged the engineers to maintain the machine since it will be stationed at a hospital with quite a high number of patients seeking scans since it can handle gynecology, obstetrics tests, and other tests.
Currently, she says, the government has ensured that all general hospitals have at least one ultrasound scan machine. She acknowledged that many Health Center IVs that are supposed to handle maternity care still operate without this vital equipment.
On his part, Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director General of Health Services, said the company contacted them about three months ago about the machine and they are yet to identify the hospital where they will install it to maximize its use. By policy he says, health facilities from the national referral hospitals to health center IVs are supposed to have ultrasound scan services.
At lower facilities he says, the government has recruited radiographers and sonographers to run the service and employed radiologists at higher level facilities. For the new machine, he says since such hasn’t been in use here, they expect the supplier to conduct user training with their staff.
–URN
