When tragedy strikes and internal injuries are expected, 30 extra minutes to get a CT scan can make all the difference.
But if all goes to plan, a CT scanner coming to the Bulkley Valley District Hospital could service its first patient before the leaves change colours.
Communications officer with Northern Health Eryn Collins confirmed to The Interior News in an email that the scanner was expected to be operational by the end of June.
The scanner’s future in Smithers was previously in peril, as council initially voted 4-3 in favour of not granting a variance to the hospital to waive off-site costs surrounding the building.
READ MORE: CT scanner ‘paused’ after council denies variance
At their next meeting, they unanimously decided to reverse that choice.
The space that will house the scanner is still under construction, to the tune of approximately $350,000 in renovations to a pre-existing room at the hospital.
The CT scanner itself comes in at $2.9 million — $1.6 million of which was donated by Former Telkwa mayor Fritz Pfeiffer.
Currently the closest two scanners are in Terrace and Prince George.
However in a situation where internal injuries are suspected, quick access to a scanner is critical.
READ MORE: Smithers council reverses CT scan vote
The scanner isn’t the only new addition to the hospital.
The health region recently added a digital mammography room and a radiology room, coming in at $670,000 and $800,000 respectively.
trevor.hewitt@interior-news.com
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