Power upgrades delay CT scan services at Labasa Hospital

As patients face limited options, power upgrades are delaying CT scan services at the Labasa Hospital.

Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services Penioni Ravunawa toured the hospital today amid growing concern over the CT scan machine, which has been out of operation for nearly two years.

During his visit, Mr Ravunawa said extensive discussions were ongoing with the Ministry of Public Works regarding the restoration of the essential diagnostic service.

He said that funding for capital projects in the current financial year had been allocated to the Ministry of Public Works.

"They are responsible for procurement and installation works, including major electrical upgrades in hospitals," Mr Ravunawa said.

He said a major step forward had already been taken, with a larger transformer purchased and installed by Energy Fiji Limited (EFL) to meet the increased power demands of modern medical equipment.

However, further assessments revealed that internal electrical wiring within the hospital also required upgrading before the CT scan machine could safely operate.

“The Ministry of Public Works has advised that internal wiring upgrades are necessary to support heavy equipment like the CT scan machine,” he said.

He also stressed that once the internal transformer upgrades and wiring improvements were completed, the hospital would be able to resume X-ray CT scan services.

He acknowledged the frustration faced by patients who currently have to travel to other divisions for CT scans, adding that the ministry understood the urgency of restoring the service for the Northern Division.

He assured the public that efforts were being prioritised to resolve the technical issues as quickly as possible.

“The moment the power requirements are fully sorted, the CT scan machine will be operational,” he added.

The restoration of the CT scan service is expected to significantly improve diagnostic capacity and patient care at Labasa Hospital.