Abu Dhabi hospital the first in UAE to offer GE Healthcare Discovery* MR750w 3.0T1 Magnetic
Abu Dhabi, UAE; 7 MAY, 2013: Patients attending Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Khalifa Medical City for medical imaging will benefit from the hospital's recent installation of the innovative GE Healthcare Discovery* MR750w 3.0T1 Magnetic Resonance scanner. The new system was unveiled today at an inauguration event attended by executives from Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, SEHA, GE Healthcare and Abu Dhabi International (ADI), GE Healthcare's distribution partner in the UAE.
The new GE Healthcare wide bore system is the first-of-its-kind to be installed in the United Arab Emirates and offers a wide-range of advanced clinical functionality and uncompromised image quality, and was designed to be patient friendly, with the goal of transforming the experience for patients who find having a traditional MRI scan uncomfortable or intimidating.
MRI scanners use a magnetic field and pulses of radio wave energy to create highly detailed images of the body's internal structures and in many cases give different information about these structures than is revealed through other forms of medical imaging. MRI scans can highlight problems that cannot be seen with these other imaging methods, which include X-ray, ultrasound, or computed tomography (CT) scans.
During an MRI scan, the patient is required to lie on the scanner's gurney, which is then placed inside the part of the machine that contains a high magnetic field. Although painless, MR imaging can sometimes be an uncomfortable experience for those who get stressed in confined spaces.
The Discovery MR750w 3.0T system allows greater use of feet-first scanning in addition to traditional head-first scanning; and introduces a larger, 70cm patient 'bore' (the area where the person lies to be scanned), and a patient-friendly design to help alleviate patient anxiety and stress during the scan. In particular, it accommodates patients who are usually difficult to scan, such as those who are elderly or very young, or those who are in pain and require a larger imaging system. A detachable table, equipped with comfort tilt to help better position the head and neck during brain and spinal exams, is intended to help improve comfort, which helps reduce patient movement, thereby enhancing image quality.
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City also engaged the services of ADI and GE Healthcare's Hospital & Healthcare Solutions (HHS) team as consultants on the project to assemble the right partners to deliver a full and comprehensive solution. This involved an assessment in consideration of key environmental and ergonomic factors for the new state-of-the art modular facility as well as the design and construction of the new suite.
Commenting on the new MRI scanner, Dr. Asim Khwaja, Chair of Radiology: "Sheikh Khalifa Medical City's philosophy is 'Patient's First' and this covers all aspects of a patient's interaction with us as a healthcare provider, whether they are undergoing treatment or having non-invasive investigations in the form of scans. We are extremely happy to have the latest MRI scanning technology from GE that not only ensures the highest quality of imaging to allow for the most accurate diagnosis, but also extends to ensuring that they have the most comfortable and stress-free experience when undergoing this form of investigation."
Maher Abouzeid, President & CEO of GE Healthcare for Middle East and Pakistan said: "Together with ADI, we congratulate Sheikh Khalifa Medical City on the opening of their brand new, state-of-the-art MRI facility. GE Healthcare is proud to have been selected as a key technology and solutions provider on this project and we remain committed to bringing to the UAE and the Middle East our diverse portfolio of products, services and customer solutions aimed at supporting the needs of key healthcare providers."
Makram Lutfi, Director of Operations of ADI said: "It was a very challenging project yet the success is overwhelming. This effort would not have been possible without the commitment of our experienced engineers and with the tremendous cooperation of Sheikh Khalifa Medical City and GE Healthcare teams who were very dedicated until the completion of this project."
Caroline Wehbeh
GE Communications Leader, North Africa
[email protected]
+971 4 429 6318