For the past year, the Chukka Foundation has partnered closely with other charitable organizations to secure the purchase of a PACS System for the Radiology Department at the Falmouth Hospital in Trelawny.

Through the generosity of donors, the following organizations assisted with donating funds:-

The Issa Trust Foundation (the non-profit arm of Couples Resort)

The American Friends of Jamaica

National Health Fund

Tourism Enhancement Fund

We Care FPGH Ltd

Private Donors

Together , the target of USD$100,000 was raised to purchase  an Evo View PACS System with two Fuji CRs and Diagnostic Viewing Stations.  Last week, The Issa Trust Foundation delivered, installed and provided training for the new System.

The present system in our hospitals for x-rays, image storing and chemicals used to develop film is extremely outdated. Companies that provide chemicals to develop films are scaling back on the chemicals they offer with a warning that production will soon end.

Hospitals are moving to a system called the Picture Archiving and Communications System, or PACS, which allows them to store and transmit a patient’s imaging records in real-time. Instead of using outdated traditional-based radiology, PACS is digital.  The system’s benefits are greatly needed, as it allows organizations to share images with radiologists and physicians at other locations quickly, helping to save time and money, and improve patient care. The benefits of the shared system are significant. Prior to PACS, large jackets of film were needed to be moved from organization to organization at a significant cost.  Picture Archiving and Communication System enables radiologists to read, dictate, diagnose and report from a digital system. It facilitates zoom (for more precise images), improved data management, easy and quick access to patient reports, chronological data management and user-friendly software.  Transmission of electronic images and reports taka place digitally so that radiologists and doctors can seek other’s opinions through simultaneous viewing.

The Falmouth Hospital is the only secondary care facility in Trelawny. Falmouth and its vicinity have had a population growth of 25% with the boom of housing units over the past five years. The number of hotels rooms in the parish also continues to grow along with the cruise ship passengers from the Falmouth port. This growing population of residents and visitors has put pressure on the Falmouth Hospital’s facilities and staff, emphasizing the hospital’s need for upgrades and purchases of new equipment.

Working closely together with The Issa Trust  Foundation , The Chukka Foundation partnered in raising funds and finding donors to purchase the PACS System.

The donors are gratefully acknowledged for their support.

The Radiology Department and Falmouth Hospital are grateful for the arrival of the medical equipment, and the vast improvement it brings. Mr. Orville Anderson from the Radiology Department expressed special thanks and noted that the Pacs System will improve the efficiency of the department, reduce radiation exposure, save money and modernize the facility.