THE BROKENSHIRE Medical Center (BMC) partnered with Siemens Healthineers to inaugurate its newly installed, state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on Jan. 12, 2024, and transform the landscape of medical diagnosis and treatment, last Jan. 12.
The MAGNETOM Sempra 1.5 Tesla MRI, offers advanced neurological, oncological, skeletal imaging catering to a wider range of patients’ needs. This allows them to perform complex procedures like neuro-vascular imaging, ortho, breast MRI, and prostate MRI, which are not easily available in other modalities.
Ronald Manuel Santos, BMC’s chief executive officer, said through the MRI machine, the hospital can accommodate a wide range of patients who need such a procedure.
“Those people waiting in line for MRI procedures in other public and private hospitals were long enough. It is more about collaborating, and how we can give better service to our fellow Dabawenyos,” Santos said.
Dr. Abdiel Galicia, BMC chief of clinics, also stressed that MRI machines will provide a clearer image and improve the capacity of treatments, compared to the resolution brought by CT scan, x-ray, or ultrasound.
“We can now offer better treatment, better management for the people who come to Brokenshire, and when you ask about the quality of life, we are competitive,” Galicia said.
He also said personnel in charge of the machine are fully trained by Siemens Healthineers to operate it at full capacity.
Dr. Samuel Bangoy, BMC-FPCR department, also explained that while CT scans and the MRI machine are comparative enough, both of the machines still work complementarily.
“CT scan and MRI are both imaging modalities. However, CT scans utilize X-rays while MRI utilizes a magnet. Both have their pros and cons, MRI is better for imaging neuro, spine, and soft tissue, and CT scan. It’s good for bones. The duration of the MRI result depends on how complex the disease is,” Bangoy added.
Heinz-Michael Horst Schmermer, Siemens Healthineers president, and Wei Chen, Siemens Healthineers Business Development manager, discussed how the MRI machine offers sustainability for the environment, as well as how the machine improves workflow efficiency.
“A lot of studies have revealed that some scans have many repeats, and by repeating all these scans, we are consuming more electricity, and more time that the patients will be waiting. AI technology just like MRI improves the workflow and more accurate diagnosis,” Chen said.
“The MAGNETOM Sempra is absolutely designed to reduce power consumption, to make it really affordable, and to fully operate the systems,” Schmermer added.
The Brokenshire Medical Center is a 200-bed capacity level 3 private hospital, licensed by the Department of Health and accredited by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.
