PATIENTS at King Edward VIII and Addington Hospitals needing CAT scans have been turned away and referred to other state facilities because CT scanners at the hospitals are not working.
The CT scanners are used in the examination of the body and brain not visible in conventional x-rays. The Sunday Tribune reported that doctors at the hospitals said patients who needed scans for potential cancers or spine diseases would have to wait as all available scanning facilities would be used for emergencies only.
An Addington doctor was quoted as saying the hospitals were experiencing a CT scan crisis and that the problem would go on for some time. He said the problem occurred because the machines were overused.
Provincial health spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi said the department was aware of the malfunctioning equipment and was working on fixing the machines and would in some instances, replace them. He said patients would be transferred to other institutions such as RK Khan, Prince Mshiyeni, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital and King Dinu-Zulu Hospital.
