A unique collaboration between the charity Health Improvement Project Zanzibar (HIPZ) and the Zanzibar government has seen point-of-care ultrasound systems introduced into the country’s hospitals, helping to improve maternity services. Dr Ru MacDonagh, founder of HIPZ and a consultant urologist at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, Somerset, explained: “In a drive to improve healthcare services, the Zanzibar government approached HIPZ to run its Makunduchi Hospital and, later on, the larger hospital at Kivunge. One big problem was the lack of ultrasonography, which is particularly important in a maternity unit. The large cart systems we used initially were not practical for use in Africa, and so we looked for an alternative solution.”
“SonoSite point-of-care ultrasound systems are used at Musgrove Park, and an anaesthetist colleague had also used them in the earthquake zone in Nepal during the 2015 disaster relief effort, describing them as ‘bullet proof’. This robustness made them ideal for use in Africa. We bought two NanoMaxx® systems, which deliver exactly what we need. They are compact, lightweight and portable, with good image quality. They are also straightforward to operate, and I learned how to use them in a very short period of time. Point-of-care ultrasound has made a dramatic difference to our maternity unit. Patients really appreciate seeing the baby, and attendance rates at our antenatal clinics have now grown from just 20 to 30 % to around 70 %. Ultrasound has proved a huge success. It’s a real life saver.”
About FUJIFILM SonoSite
SonoSite helped pioneer the concept of portable, point-of-care ultrasound, and it continues to be a world-leading manufacturer and innovator of bedside ultrasound systems as well as an industry leader in ultra-high frequency micro-ultrasound technology. Headquartered near Seattle, the company is represented by 26 subsidiaries and a global distribution network in over 100 countries. SonoSite’s portable, compact systems are expanding the use of ultrasound across the clinical spectrum by cost-effectively bringing high-performance ultrasound to the point of patient care. For more information, go to: www.sonosite.com.
FUJIFILM SonoSite, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. oversees a direct sales distribution network in the UK and provides sales and marketing support.
FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com
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