WHITEHORSE, YUKON - Whitehorse General Hospital has announced that the hospital's new CT Scanner is now fully operational on site in the Northwestel Centre for Medical Imaging.

“The SOMATOM Definition AS+ CT Scanner, manufactured by Siemens Medical Solutions, was purchased by the Yukon Hospital Foundation for $1.3 million dollars and installed in early July,” said Keith Byram, Yukon Hospital Foundation Chair.

The new machine – a 128-slice scanner – replaces the hospital's previous 4-slice scanner and allows more specialized examinations and shorter examination times, allowing technicians to scan more patients each day.

“Acquiring this state-of-the-art CT Scanner is a major accomplishment for the Yukon,” said Craig Tuton, Yukon Hospital Corporation Chair. “The new scanner is capable of scanning much more quickly and provides a level of detail not previously possible.

CT scans, or Computed Tomography scans, are frequently used to evaluate the brain, neck, spine, chest, abdomen, pelvis and sinuses. They are special x-ray tests that take cross-sectional pictures of the body and allow radiologists to “look inside” the body as one would see inside a loaf of bread by slicing it.

“Access to a 128-slice scanner is a huge asset for health care in the territory as it is a major diagnostic tool used by physicians to “visualize” abnormalities or diseases that in the past may have only previously been detected through surgery,” explains Dr. Rao Tadepalli, Physician and President of the Yukon Medical Association.  

“On behalf of the hospital, we extend our thanks and appreciation to all the donors, sponsors and medical staff who made the purchase of this life-saving technology possible for our community.,” said Tuton.

The new CT scanner marks the largest single purchase by the Yukon Hospital Foundation since its inception in 2005.

In the coming weeks, the Yukon Hospital Foundation will unveil the focus of its new annual campaign to raise funds for critically-needed diagnostic and clinical equipment for the hospital.