CT scans at 40% discount on Saturdays

 THE Pacific International Hospital in the National Capital District has switched its popular 40% discount on CT scans from Sunday to between 8am and midday on Saturdays.

Hospital senior business development manager Anandan Gangadhar said the discount facility had been shifted due to repeated requests from patients and their families.

“More than 350 patients have benefited from the scheme since the discount was announced,” Gangadhar said in a statement. 

“In the past, people who could not afford the scan cost on normal days preferred to get it done on Sundays.”

However, he said many people had requested that the facility be provided during weekdays, “explaining that Sunday is the only day they get off and is often dedicated to their family activities such as church, housekeeping chores and visiting friends and family”. 

“Considering their request, the PIH management announced moving the discount facility from Sundays to Saturdays,” he said.

“However, the discount does not apply for emergencies, inpatients and insurance patients.” 

Hospital chief executive officer Ramanand Patnaik said the management was delighted to offer such a discount to a community where many people could not afford a CT scan. 

“We have provided this scheme to the people of Papua New Guinea to utilise the advanced medical technology available at PIH,” he said. 

“This is a part of the company’s initiative under the public private partnership to introduce affordable healthcare services to the citizens of PNG. 

“The advanced CT scan is a significant imaging service that endorses the doctor for more accurate diagnosis of medical conditions especially on brain, spine, joints and other soft tissues, which cannot be determined by the normal X-ray.” 

He said PIH had for more than 10 years provided advanced medical practices to PNG in the form of CT scans, key hole-phaco eye surgery, mammogram, gastro endoscopy, laparoscopy or quantiferon gold TB test. 

“PIH is the only private hospital in PNG to provide collective health care services all under one roof from general medicine, obs and gynaecology, paediatrics, cardiology, radiology, dental, eye care, orthopaedic, anaesthesiology, dermatology, ENT, urology and plastic surgery to its patients,” Patnaik said.