New ultrasound technology boost for maternal healthcare

A health workers learns to operate the visiq ultrasound machine during the Philip's training session. SARAH OOKO 

By SARAH OOKO

In Summary

• Visiq boasts of a touch screen platform which allows users to tap on icons, which open various features of the ultrasound equipment.
• The Visiq ultrasound machine is especially geared towards handling emergency cases as it generates clear digital images faster than the Cart Base Ultra-sound Machine.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that pregnant women make at least four antenatal care visits before they deliver. These check-up sessions provide opportunities for clinicians to examine mother and baby for any health complications or concerns that may adversely affect delivery.

 

One key medical equipment used for the examination is an ultra sound machine. It generates images of the unborn child as well as the mother’s vital organs such as the liver and kidneys.

The most commonly used type is known as the Cart Base Ultrasound Machine which, though effective, has its own share of challenges. To address some of the shortcomings, Philips last week launched a new ultrasound machine dubbed Visiq.

This diagnosis technology is light, weighing only 1.2 kilogrammes. Furthermore, it is designed in a tablet format and can be easily detached from its stand and carried in an ordinary bag.

Ms Jacqueline Karachi, the Philips Ultra Sound Business Manager, noted that these features make the technology ideal for rural healthcare as doctors can easily carry them to remote locations and attend to patients living far away from health facilities.

Reaching out to rural communities is especially important as government statistics indicate that most mothers deliver at home, having never made any antenatal visits to health facilities. This is a major contributor to the country’s high maternal mortality rate, where about 7,000 women die yearly from pregnancy related complications.

Since Cart Base Ultrasound Machines are bulky and quite heavy, they are usually stationed in a specific room.

“We have to wheel patients there. This causes an inconvenience to some who may be in great pain,” said Irene Muthoni,” a Sonographer at St Mary’s Hospital, Nairobi, who attended the Philips Visiq training during the launch of their equipment.

Easy to operate

Having used the new technology, Ms Muthoni noted that the Visiq machine was easy to operate due to some unique attributes.

Indeed, Visiq boasts of a touch screen platform which allows users to tap on icons, which open various features of the ultrasound equipment. This also allows them to zoom in on images and out, depending on the diagnosis being made.

According to Ms Karachi, the Visiq ultrasound machine is especially geared towards handling emergency cases as it generates clear digital images faster than the Cart Base Ultra-sound Machine.

“When diagnosing victims of accidents for instance, Visiq will be helpful as it can provide results in about a minute thereby enabling a doctor to detect internal injuries and address them urgently. The conventional ultrasound takes about 10 to 15 minutes,” said Mr Alfonce Nyaga, a Medical Imaging expert and lecturer at Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) who also participated in the training.

“I managed to use it during today’s practical session and I noticed that it’s not complicated at all. It can be easy for anyone to operate,” he said.

This technology will be beneficial to rural regions which may not necessarily have highly skilled health workers specialised in imaging services. Visiq is also good for training purposes, said Mr Nyaga.