Health to receive long awaited CT scanner later this month

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 13 JANUARY 2022: The Ministry of Health will receive the long awaited Computer Tomography (CT) scanner at the end of this month.

“It was supposed to arrive last week, but there’s been a delay and we will receive it in two weeks’ time,” confirmed the Minister of Health, Valasi Tafito Selesele.

Samoa has been without a CT scanner for close to two years and patients have been transferred to either New Zealand or American Samoa for scans.

However, the arrangement between Samoa and American Samoa is currently on hold due to problems with their CT scanner.

The CT scanner was one of the top priorities raised by the Samoa Medical Association when they met with the new Minister of Health on his first week in office last August.

The Deputy President of the Medical Association, Dr. Ulugia Kamu told the Minister that there was an urgent need for Samoa to have its own CT scanner because it was very difficult for doctors to diagnose patient’s illness.

The minister responded then that Cabinet had placed priority on the matter and he will push to have it sooner.

Under Cabinet’s direction, the Ministry then ordered not only a new scanner but parts of the old one so it can be fixed and on standby.

Having the CT scanner will not only assist the medical team with patients’ diagnosis but savings on the Ministry’s finances for sending patients across for scans in American Samoa and New Zealand.