Patients have to pay over D4000 at private clinics to undergo CT scanning, as the only scanner at the Serekunda General Hospital has been down since May. The computerized tomography scan, also called CT, combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles around human bodies and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images (slices) of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside the body.  Scanned images provide more-detailed information than plain X-rays.

Lamin Ceesay, a patient escort at the SK hospital said they’re forced to pay D5000 for scanning at a private clinic.

A CT scanner can be as low as $65,000 for a refurbished one that produces only small images quickly while a larger and brand-new CT scanner can cost as high as $2.5 million. “I cannot imagine why the CT scanner has been down for 6 months. This is unacceptable – poor Gambians are paying D5000 in a private clinic for CT scanning that would have cost them only D2000 in a government hospital.”A senior doctor at the Serekunda hospital complained.

The doctor said at least 10 patients come to the hospital everyday requiring CT scanning.

According to the anonymized doctor most of the people don’t have the financial muscle to pay D5000 for the scanning. “I have nothing against the hospital management but frankly, a hospital like Serekunda should not be without a CT scanner for this long. It is really devastating,” the doctor added.

Meanwhile the CEO, Kebba Manneh argued that, the hospital understands how frustrated patients are and management is doing everything to get the machine repaired. “We are aware that to have a CT scan in the private clinics is very expensive. The issue is that when the scanner had a problem, it was in the peak of Covid-19 pandemic.

Manneh urged the government to buy a new machine because the dynamited one has outlived its lifespan. He disclosed that the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital CT scanner is the only one currently operating in the public sector.

By: Sainabou Jasseh