A CT scanner in Swan River is making things more convenient for patients who would otherwise have been required to travel to Dauphin, Brandon or Winnipeg for the diagnostic test.
The scanner arrived at Swan Valley Health Centre last March. The facility was able to scan its first patient in May, and the equipment became fully operational June 17.
The hospital is located about 500 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, near the Saskatchewan border.
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A new CT scanner at the Swan Valley Health Centre became fully operational in June.
As of late July, more than 400 scans had been performed, and up to 2,200 are expected to be performed annually.
The previous Progressive Conservative government committed more than $2 million for the purchase in 2022, along with approximately $400,000 per year in operating costs.
The Town of Swan River and surrounding communities raised an additional $1 million for the scanner.
“The job got done thanks to all of the municipalities, residents, and everyone who was so instrumental in making this happen,” Swan River MLA Rick Wowchuk said in a release, adding that the scanner is a “game changer” for health-care services in the area. “It is going to save lives.”