BC Hydro helped hospital patients on North Vancouver Island get access to a mobile CT Scanner in their own communities.
A CT scanner is used to combine X-ray images from different angles around the body, before making images of your bones, blood vessels, and soft tissues.
This scanner is part of the North Vancouver Island Stabilization Project, which aims to support residents who need it while visiting the hospital.
Manager of medical health imaging for Island Health Alexandra Melanson says the scanner will help in lowering travel time for patients.
“Normally, what would happen is these patients would have to get someone to bring them down to Campbell River, which is a 2.5 to 3-hour drive,” said Melanson.
“The addition of this new scanner means less travel time for North Vancouver Island residents in need of CT scan diagnostic testing.”
Hydro says the scanner will serve not only those living in Port Hardy but also communities north of Campbell River, Cormorant Island, Port McNeill, and Port Alice.
They add that because the Port Hardy hospital did not have the capacity to run the scanner, they originally planned on using a diesel generator.
But after getting $30,000 in funding, they were able to get the scanner running through several upgrades including two spans of overhead wire, a transformer, a pad, and 14 parking stalls.
Hydro says the scanner will run for 40 hours a week for both scheduled and emergency scans.
