Malindi Hospital Boosted With CT Scan, AI-Powered Digital X-Ray Machine

By Ben Okweingoti 

Residents of Malindi Town and its surrounding areas are set to benefit from improved diagnostic services following the installation of a modern CT scan and an Artificial Intelligence-powered digital X-ray machine at Malindi Sub-County Hospital.

Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro said the new equipment will enhance access to specialised diagnostic services and ease the pressure on Kilifi County Referral Hospital.

According to the governor, the digital X-ray machine is the first of its kind to be installed in a public health facility in the country, adding that the county government plans to extend similar technology to other hospitals, including Kilifi County Referral Hospital.

Mung’aro said the new CT scan facility is expected to serve between 20 and 30 patients daily, significantly reducing the number of patients who previously had to seek such services at the county referral hospital or other facilities.

“We will be able to conduct between 20 and 30 CT scan services every day, and this will reduce the burden at Kilifi County Referral Hospital,” Mung’aro said.

He added that the hospital had previously lacked an X-ray machine, forcing patients to seek the services elsewhere.

“We have now installed a digital X-ray machine that will be able to take up to 250 images every day, with the results transmitted immediately,” he said.

The governor challenged healthcare workers to adequately educate patients on how the new diagnostic machines operate and the time required to serve each patient, saying this would help prevent misinformation and manage expectations.

“It is the responsibility of doctors to inform patients about the operations of the machines and the time taken for a single patient to be served so that they can understand that a CT scan is not done in a single minute,” he said.

He noted that while CT scans require time to conduct and process, the new digital X-ray machine will produce and transmit results almost immediately.

Kilifi County Executive Committee Member for Health Peter Mwarogo said the introduction of the digital system marks the end of the era when patients had to move from one department to another carrying physical X-ray films.

Mwarogo said that once an image is taken, the results will be transmitted electronically and directly to the attending doctor, improving efficiency and reducing delays in diagnosis and treatment.

“Once your picture has been taken, the results are sent directly to your doctor digitally, so patients should not be worried when they do not receive a film at the X-ray section,” he said.

He added that the advanced technology would enable doctors to access diagnostic images quickly and make more informed decisions regarding a patient's treatment.

At the same time, Shella Ward Member of County Assembly Twahir Abdulkarim warned health workers against negligence and laxity while carrying out their duties.

The MCA, however, also called on patients and their relatives to treat healthcare workers with respect and refrain from abusing them, saying a conducive working environment was essential for effective service delivery.

The installation of the new diagnostic equipment is expected to improve healthcare services in Malindi and surrounding areas by bringing advanced imaging services closer to residents and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances in search of specialised diagnostic care.