The Provincial Government and Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services are adding new Positron Emission Tomography (PET) – computed tomography (CT) scanners to the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s and Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook based on the Health Accord NL recommendation to improve mortality rates for cancer, cardiac disease, and stroke patients.
PET-CTs can often detect diseases, like cancer, faster than CT scans and MRI imaging. Two additional PET-CT scanners will complement the existing PET-CT scanner in St. John’s, help improve access to cancer diagnosis and treatments,and reduce wait times for all residents who require a PET-CT scan.
More importantly, it will result in more people receiving improved patient outcomes.
PET-CT scanners use radiotracers, which are produced at the Health Sciences Centre by a cyclotron under an interim clinical trial from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and Health Canada. Adding a second PET-CT scanner to the Health Sciences Centre will help NL Health Services meet the requirements to continue producing radiotracers in the province for PET-CT scanners in St. John’s and Corner Brook.
There is currently $2 million held in trust for the purchase of a PET-CT for the Western Zone. A fully licensed and advanced nuclear medicine program will create stability for patient care and help to attract specialized physicians, engineers, and scientists to the province.
Quotes
“We’re excited about the addition of two new PET-CT scanners and what it means for health care in our province. It means people will have an earlier diagnosis and therefore can start treatment earlier. It also means that people can get the scans they need closer to home. We look forward to when the new PET-CTs are operational and the impact they have in our province.”
Honourable John Hogan
Minister of Health and Community Services
“Today is a great day for health care for all of Newfoundland and Labrador, but I am especially pleased to be making this announcement at Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook. A PET-CT scanner at this new world-class health care centre will ensure the people of this region have better access to cancer diagnosis and treatments, and reduced wait times.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture and MHA for Corner Brook
“NL Health Services is pleased with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s announcement of two new PET-CT scanners for the province. This will help us provide patients with multiple new cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic programs and will also dramatically increase access to this service for our patients. This progress is testament to the hard work and dedication of the technologists, nurses, production staff, managers and administrative staff who have helped advance the PET-CT program over the past seven years, including through the pandemic.”
Dr. Jeffery Flemming
Clinical Lead, Nuclear and Molecular Medicine
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