A first for Malaysian hospitals

NST: PETALING JAYA: The long queues for X-rays at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) in Klang will be reduced. And patients who are not mobile can even be X-rayed in bed, thanks to the portable X-ray scanner Canon Malaysia has donated to the hospital.
The company is celebrating 20 years in Malaysia and the 70th anniversary of the setting up of the global firm that produces high-tech imaging products.
Canon Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd president and chief executive officer Liew Sip Chon said the Canon CXDI-50C portable flat panel digital radiography system was the first to be installed in the country. With its speed and capacity, it reduces waiting time for X-rays.
"The diagnostic quality is also increased, allowing doctors to come up with the best medical solutions for patients’ ailments," he said.
Lightweight and portable at less than 5kg, the compact X-ray scanner can be used to capture detailed X-rays from virtually any position and angle.
Hospital director Dr Yahya Baba said the portable unit would improve the hospital’s delivery system.
"Our hospital is one of the busiest in the country, treating some 160,000 patients a year. The device will make it faster and easier for our radiographers and radiologists," he said.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad, who witnessed the handing over, said Canon’s gesture should be emulated because it increased the accessibility to quality health care.
The CXDI-50C, part of Canon’s CXDI digital radiography system first introduced in 2000, costs RM350,000 per unit. More than 6,000 units have been sold to hospitals worldwide.
Canon Opto Malaysia has invested RM800 million to aid technology transfer over the years. It has created 6,500 jobs here and 95 per cent of its workforce is Malaysian.