The Tupua Tamasese Meaole National Hospital in Apia is currently facing a disruption in its radiology services after an electrical surge damaged the facility’s main X-ray machine.
The Director General of Health Aiono Prof. Alec Ekeroma told the Samoa Observer it could take up to a month for the machine to be fully repaired.
He explained that the damage to the main X-ray machine was caused by an unexpected electrical surge, which has left the equipment out of operation.
“Our Biomedical Engineer is actively working on the problem, and will need parts from overseas,” Aiono said.
While the main machine is out of service, Aiono assured the public that patient care has not been compromised as the mobile X-ray unit, which is typically used for emergencies and in-patient care, is still fully operational.
However, there will be limitations on the types of X-rays that can be performed during this period.
“We will not be doing Non-medical X-rays which are immigration X-rays.”
The disruption comes at a challenging time for the hospital, as the X-ray machine is a critical piece of equipment used for diagnosing a wide range of medical conditions.
