SunMed and Siemens bring latest CT technology to Malaysia

• Dual Source CT scanner will help doctors evaluate potential heart problems faster and more accurately
• SunMed also launches ‘Give A Heart’ campaign to highlight the threat of heart disease amongst women

SUNWAY Medical Centre and Siemens Malaysia’s Healthcare Sector have announced the installation of a ‘Dual Source’ CT (computed tomography) scanner at the centre in Malaysia, and in conjunction also launched a corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaign.
 
The Dual Source CT scanner installed at the hospital, the Somatom Definition Flash, will help doctors evaluate potential heart problems much faster and more accurately, with significantly lower radiation dose than before, Siemens Malaysia said in a statement.
 
“Both Sunway Medical Centre and Siemens share similar goals of providing [Malaysians] with world-class healthcare and we are delighted and honoured to be Sunway Medical Centre’s chosen reliable partner in delivering quality products to society,” said Dr Maxim Mamin, senior vice president and head of the Healthcare Sector at Siemens Malaysia.
 
“There are a lot of reasons why the Somatom Definition Flash is unique in the market – split-second scanning at an exceptional acquisition speed and the industry’s only dose-neutral Dual Energy are just two of them,” he claimed.
 
“Patients with heart disease need accurate diagnoses, and they often need them fast. The Somatom Definition Flash provides high quality images within seconds. It will help Sunway Medical Centre’s heart specialists get crucial information so they can treat patients correctly and quickly,” he added.
 
The scanner uses two X-ray tubes rotating around the body simultaneously to provide high resolution clinical diagnosis images. The Dual Source technology allows scanning at flash speed, so that diagnostic images can be acquired from almost any patient – independent of their heart rate, their ability to hold their breath, or their willingness to remain still, Siemens Malaysia said.
 
This can make sedation for children unnecessary, and optimises the golden hour for trauma patients and addresses all kinds of challenging cardiac cases, the company claimed.
 
Give A Heart
 
Sunway Medical Centre (SunMed) also launched its ‘Give A Heart’ campaign in collaboration with Siemens Malaysia.
 
This campaign aims to highlight the threat of heart disease amongst women, a growing trend that remains under the radar compared with other higher profile 'female diseases' such as breast cancer, SunMed said.
 
Through the ‘Give A Heart’ campaign, it will be providing free CT Coronary Angiograms for disadvantaged women who need it, between June and December 2014.
 
The hospital will raise funds for the campaign by donating a portion of the fee from all CT scans it does. Patients who wish to apply for the Give A Heart fund will need to be referred by a panel of cardiologists at Sunway Medical Centre and their application is subject to approval by the Give A Heart committee. Each disbursement will be capped at RM3,000 per patient.
 
“SunMed’s newly installed Siemens Flash Speed Dual Source CT Scanner is able to meet our patients’ needs as it allows for faster scanning time, has a lower dose of radiation, pinpoints the location of a tumour, infection or blood clot, and will be able to detect and monitor diseases and conditions such as heart disease, cancer, lung nodules and liver masses,” said SunMed chief executive officer Tan Suet Guan.
 
“With this Give a Heart campaign, women who need a CT Coronary Angiogram can benefit from this state-of-the-art machine without increasing their financial burden,” she added.
 
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