The commissioning of a special Chemistry Analyser at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Anguilla on Tuesday, June 20, has given the institution the capacity to perform tests and treatment never possible before in its history.

Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake (left) commissioning machine

Senior Medical Technologist, Everette Duncan, said the machine was purchased from Otto Clinical Diagnostics at Johnson & Johnson Company in the United States at a cost of US$85,000. According to her, the equipment provides Anguilla with state-of-the-art testing that is comparable to that in America and other parts of the world at an affordable cost.

Miss Duncan listed some of the special chemistry tests which can be done with the machine as follows: thyroid functions, PSA (the test for prostate cancer in men), reproductive hormonal tests; testing for anaemia, breast and other cancers, hepatitis B and C.

Ouch! Mr. James getting tested and leading by example

Chief Executive Officer of the Health Authority of Anguilla, Dexter James, stated that for him the most important test with relevance for all men 40 years and more, was that for prostate cancer known as Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA). He took the opportunity to encourage the island’s male population to have their PSAs done annually.

James challenged the laboratory management at the hospital to market its capacity and services, noting that many persons, not aware of the routine tests locally, were travelling overseas for the service. He invited the public to take advantage of the availability of the tests, saying that turnaround times for results were within 24-48 hours for the majority of tests currently being done.

Dr. Kassim (left) and other Health officials at ceremony

Director of Medical Services and Surgeon, Dr. Braimah Kassim, hailed the commissioning of the Chemistry Analyser “as a great moment for the health services of Anguilla.” He stated that for the first time in its history the hospital now had the capacity of testing and treating patients in real time as opposed to the previous practice of sending the samples overseas and waiting between five and seven days for the results.

In referring to some of tests the new machine can perform, Dr. Kassim said: “Anaemia is very common in Anguilla but it has not been studied adequately due to the high cost involved in sending the samples overseas. Thanks to this new machine, the causes of anaemia can be studied adequately and treated accordingly. Hepatitis C could not be diagnosed at our hospital unless the sample was sent to CAREC and we had to wait for two to three weeks for the result. We should be very pleased to have this test available here because all donated blood for transfusion can now be tested… and can be done on the same day.”

Dr. Kassim also said that studies of prostate cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and other cancers could now be better undertaken with the machine. He noted that the incident rate of prostate cancer in Afro-American men was nearly twice that of the general population in the world and the death rate was up to three times greater. He said the new machine in Anguilla could produce tests results for prostate cancer on the same day of testing.

Following the commissioning of the machine, the hospital offered a number of men a promotional half price for PSA testing from Tuesday to Friday this week. Mr. James, the Health Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, rolled up his sleeve and took the first test, thus leading by example. Don Richardson, a local taxi-driver from Deep Waters, also turned up as a volunteer “patient” for testing.

Dr. Kassim pledged that the hospital would continue to do its best to provide quality health care for all residents of Anguilla “with the aim of being the first choice through excellence in service.”

| Printer-friendly page | Send this article to a friend |

World News