EASE® Expands Healthcare Practice in Ghana Bringing the First MRI Scanner to the Eastern Region
EASE® Healthcare partnered with St. Dominic Catholic Hospital to bring the first MRI scanner in Ghana’s Eastern Region.
St. Dominic Catholic Hospital is set to receive Ghana’s first Siemens Magnetom Free.Star MRI scanner – the latest in low-helium MRI technology in a scanner.
The new MRI scanner will bring immense impact to patients in the region by reducing travel time, increasing accessibility of MRIs for diagnoses, treatments, and follow-ups.
Akwatia, Ghana – EASE® Ghana, a subsidiary of EASE Holdings BV, which specialises in quality equipment-as-a-service, announced the commissioning of the first MRI scanner in Ghana's Eastern Region, at St. Dominic Catholic Hospital (SDCH).
The commissioning also marks the debut of Siemens Magnetom Free.Star Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner technology in Ghana. The MRI scanner utilises Siemens’ latest low-helium scanner technology, enabling greater energy savings while maintaining high-quality imaging.
Siemens’ innovative technology, combined with EASE®’s distinctive pay-per-scan equipment-as-a-service model, made the machine accessible and affordable for SDCH. The EASE® model allows institutions to avoid upfront capital costs, allowing the hospital to utilise cash flows generated from scans to cover the cost of the service, which not only includes using the scanner, but also first-class support, training and servicing of the equipment.
Reflecting on the significance of the event, Rev. Fr. Ebenezer Kenneth Abban, PhD, Manager, and Administrator of St. Dominic Catholic Hospital, remarked, “although it has not been an easy journey, we are very excited and we feel accomplished knowing that our cherished and revered patient is the biggest beneficiary.” The Hospital’s strategic 10-year plan resolved to make it a force to reckon with in the field of medical diagnostic services, Fr. Abban stated that “medical technology is very expensive and millions of dollars are required to make this dream investment a reality. EASE Ghana has vindicated our position and helped us to carry out our agenda.”
EASE® Healthcare leverages its unique model to improve the accessibility and affordability of diagnostic equipment in healthcare institutions it partners with. The pay-per-scan programme can be implemented in any medical facility with sufficient patient flow, presenting an appealing offer for healthcare providers who often encounter financial barriers when attempting to acquire high-value equipment, such as diagnostic equipment.
A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2021 revealed that 15 of Ghana’s only 18 MRI machines, are to be found in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions[1]. Patients residing elsewhere incur high costs or forego the scans they need. MRI scans are often used to diagnose and manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which accounted for 46% of all mortality in Ghana in 2019. EASE®'s innovative equipment-as-a-service programme aims to make MRI and CT scans more accessible and enhance healthcare outcomes.
"We take pride in providing equipment solutions in emerging markets that shift a healthcare facility’s capacity to access equipment tailored to the evolving disease landscape in such regions," said Imraan Soomra, CEO of EASE Holdings. "As the prevalence of NCDs continues to rise, the demand for higher-value equipment grows, posing economic challenges for healthcare institutions in emerging markets."
The commissioning of the MRI scanner at SDCH represents a milestone for Dr. Kanyinsola Oyeyinka's, Vice President of EASE® Healthcare. Appointed to her role in June 2022, this marks EASE® Healthcare's first non-urban customer, underscoring EASE®'s dedication to making high-quality diagnostic equipment accessible to high-traffic hospitals in underserved communities, in a uniquely affordable manner.
"We are continuously expanding EASE®'s innovative pay-per-scan programme to healthcare institutions across Africa," stated Oyeyinka. "New low-helium technologies are opening new avenues for MRI accessibility and availability in healthcare institutions, such as St. Dominic Catholic Hospital. I am eagerly anticipating further collaboration with St. Dominic Catholic Hospital to broaden and enhance its services. Fr. Abban is an exceptional leader, and we believe we can create remarkable changes in the Eastern Region of Ghana under his stewardship at St. Dominic Catholic Hospital."
About EASE®
Equipment-as-a-Service (EASE®) is a pay-per-use program that provides businesses and organisations with cost-effective access to state-of-the-art equipment – including maintenance, training and support – with terms that match their circumstances and business needs. By reducing an organisation’s CapEx, EASE® enables businesses to grow, freeing up financial resources to be used to expand operations, bring on additional labour or invest in additional assets.
To find out more about EASE®, visit https://www.easeglobal.com.
About St. Dominic Catholic Hospital
St. Dominic Catholic Hospital is a 357-bed multi-specialty hospital and teaching hospital located in Akwatia, Ghana. It was established in 1960 by the Catholic Mission of Ghana. In 2021, the hospital underwent major renovations to create a state-of-the-art radiology department.
Media Contact
Cydney Bell, Cydney@easeglobal.com
[1] https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2020.07.004.