September 16, 2011 – Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc. has donated and installed a refurbished Aquilion 4 Computed Tomography (CT) system at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya. The donation is part of the company’s effort to provide remote countries better access to medical imaging technology.
As the training hospital and the area’s first CT system, physicians plan to use it to perform neurosurgical, thoracic and orthopedic studies; it would also be used to provide training to future neurosurgeons. Toshiba donated the system through Assist International, an organization that works with corporate partners to address the medical needs of emerging countries.
“This community-based program was developed in an effort to train more neurosurgeons and thus provide Africans with access to medical professionals that Americans take for granted,” said Bob Pagett, president, Assist International. “Four hospitals in Africa, including Tenwek, were chosen to participate, and Toshiba’s donation will benefit them greatly.”
Tenwek Hospital serves an area with about 2.5 million people. Before the Aquilion 4 was installed, a patient requiring a CT scan would have to travel four hours to a hospital in Nakuru, Kenya. The goal of the neurosurgery program is to train medical students through a five-year curriculum. They will then stay in the communities where they were trained, giving those people access to skilled medical professionals.
In addition to the donation of a CT, Toshiba has contributed a spare X-ray tube for the facility to have on hand. This is vital, as it ensures the facility will be able to maintain and use the equipment for an extended period of time.
For more information: www.medical.toshiba.com
