Heart surgery numbers on the up

MORE than 20 cardiac surgeries have been conducted at the AspenMedical managed Lautoka Hospital ever since the complicated medical procedure began in October last year.

Aspen Medical chief executive Annett Owttrim said they expected the numbers to increase this year upon the completion of a cath-lab unit.

“We will be having considerable amount of patients coming through so really looking forward to that facility being built in the new year and commencing that service as well,” Ms Owttrim said.

“So cardiac is going really well, the CT scanner, it’s just been burning, very hot, it’s always in use so that’s been a fantastic diagnostic tool for the clinicians and the mammogram also.

“We’ve had some more equipment come in recently.

“We will start to get more digital X-rays to be installed in the next few weeks so the hospital is starting to take shape now.”

Ms Owttrim said a lot more health awareness would be carried out this year and they also hoped to make health services available to the working population particularly on Saturdays.

This service, she indicated, include accessing the state-of-theart mammogram machine.

“So we can run extra sessions to make it all that much more accessible for patients.

“There’s also been a lot of interest from those specific associates, we haven’t had a lot just yet. I think word is still getting out.

“We’re certainly already for the tourism season, we are expecting quite a few tourists to come and that’s all being established.”

She said the training for locals to handle complicated medical procedures was “going quite well”.