Equipment pours in
CT scan unit highlight of funding drive

Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 03/99) - The operating rooms and diagnostic centres at Stanton Regional Hospital are having an equipment makeover this winter, thanks to millions of dollars in donations.

Cappy Elkin, capital campaign chair for the Stanton Regional Hospital Foundation, said over $2 million was raised over three years for seven new pieces of equipment, including a new mammography unit and the $1.2-million CT scan.

"I'm just thrilled," she said. "I went up to the hospital the other day and the machine was in and almost ready to run."

The equipment was shown to media, contributors and hospital staff last night. Elkin said she and husband Larry planned to show a film they made about the equipment and its operators.

"We wanted a 10-minute tape, but we ended up with two hours of footage," she said.

"We'd start talking to the operators, and they'd be so excited explaining the machines.

"But that's great, because it shows the equipment was very much needed.

The new mammography equipment is an improvement on the hospital's old machine, allowing the operator to see lumps smaller than a quarter. Other equipment allows a doctor to see a mammogram X-ray right away, rather than waiting for the film to develop.

The diagnostic equipment isn't the only new machinery the hospital has received over the past few weeks.

Sue Glowach, executive director of the foundation, said new pediatric surgical equipment was bought for the hospital by NMI Mobility.

"They raised thousands of dollars with a golf tournament and draws in order to buy this equipment," she said.

The surgical instruments, called laryngoscopes and bronchoscope, allow a surgeon to look into the throat of a child, said Dr. David Cook, a surgeon at Stanton.

"Some children have voice problems, such as a hoarse voice, and others have breathing difficulties," he said.

"We can use these to look at the wind pipe of even very small children."

Cook said these instruments might even help save the life of a choking child.

"We appreciate the help so much," he said.

"We had older versions, but they weren't as useful as these, in terms of flexibility."

The scopes are being used right away, however, the diagnostic equipment will not be ready to use until Dec. 12. The CT unit will eliminate the expense of sending patients to Edmonton for a brain scan.