NLIS 1
September 22, 2003
(Health and Community Services)

 

New CT Scanner for Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre

Health and Community Services Minister Gerald Smith today announced a new CT Scanner will be acquired for the Peninsulas Health Care Corporation to be located at the Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre. Minister Smith was joined by Frank Crews, board chair of the Peninsulas Health Care Corporation, Judy Foote, MHA for the district of Grand Bank and Minister of Industry, Trade and Rural Development, Percy Barrett, MHA for the district of Bellevue, and Minister of Labour, and Mary Hodder, MHA for the district of Burin-Placentia West for the announcement.

"This new equipment will help the Peninsulas Health Care Corporation recruit and retain physicians at the Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre. This centre will now have a range of technology available, particularly important when attracting new medical graduates who now receive CT training as part of their medical training," said Minister Smith.

Mr. Crews said the new CT Scanner will be a welcome addition to the Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre. "It is my pleasure to thank the provincial government for their commitment to the Burin Peninsula," said Mr. Crews. "The Burin Peninsula Health Care Centre has served the people of this area extremely well and the addition of a CT scanner will have significant impact on the health of the population."

"Today's announcement reflects a further commitment by our government to enhancing health care services for the people of the District of Grand Bank and the Burin Peninsula," said Minister Foote. "The allocation of funding for a CT scanner is something for which I, along with my fellow MHAs on the Burin Peninsula, have been lobbying and I am delighted we are able to make this commitment today. This equipment will help patients who now have to travel for this type of diagnostic service. Such travel can be quite challenging at times given the diverse, and sometimes severe weather conditions, experienced on the Burin Peninsula."

"The addition of a new CT Scanner to the hospital will greatly benefit residents of the community, surrounding area and indeed the entire Burin Peninsula," said Minister Barrett. "I view this new scanner as continued evidence of government�s commitment to ensuring health facilities in our province are of a high quality and accessible to all residents."

"This is great news for the Burin Peninsula. A desperate need for this equipment has been expressed to me many times over the past couple of years by physicians and patients alike," said Ms. Hodder. "This is something that I, along with my colleagues for the Burin Peninsula, have aggressively lobbied for and I am delighted that this approval has become a reality before concluding my political career."

"In Healthier Together, our province�s strategic health plan, our government renewed its commitment to providing quality health and community services to all residents of this province. One of the ways we are doing this is by working to improve the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of health and community services," said Minister Smith. "I am delighted to make this announcement, which brings us a step closer to realizing this goal."

A CT scanner is a diagnostic tool used for taking images inside the body. It is useful in the early diagnosis of health problems, and part of the standard of care for patients suffering from trauma, stroke, cancer and dementia.

Media contact:
          Diane Keough, Health and Community Services, (709) 729-1377
          Lisa Browne, Peninsulas Health Care Corporation, (709) 466-5863

2003 09 22                                        10:10 a.m.


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