Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel says nine Gauteng hospitals and three pathology facilities will soon get new x-ray machines that can scan trauma patients within 12 seconds.

Speaking to journalists at the Africa Health Conference currently underway at Ghallagher Estate, Patel said the Xmplar-DR full body X-ray scanner is an improvement to the existing machines, as its characteristics make it unique.

Patel said the Gauteng Department of Health had placed an order for nine units, which will cost R60-million.

“We have identified Gauteng because of the density of the population. This is the urban province of South Africa, which makes more sense to introduce it immediately here.

“The company [Lodox] will now roll it out on scale elsewhere. There are some of these facilities available elsewhere in the country, but not on scale.

“So this is the first part of the national roll-out across the health care system,” Patel said.

“This technology is quite unique. It is a medical technology that allows for the taking of x-rays digitally. Its unique characteristics are informed by the fact that it is a very flexible unit. It can be installed inside a trauma unit of a hospital. You don’t need to put it in a specialised radiology section.”

The new machine, the minister said, also allows medical practitioners to scan trauma patients immediately on arrival at a hospital, which reduces resuscitation time. 

He said the machines would be taken to three pathology facilities – Pretoria Forensic Pathology, Johannesburg Forensic Pathology and Garankuwa Forensic Pathology.

The hospitals that are in line to receive this machine are Natalspruit, George Mukhari, Steve Biko, Tembisa, Helen Joseph, Tambo Memorial, Sebokeng, Kalafong and Leratong.

It is already being piloted at three medical facilities, Minister Patel said.

He proudly notes that the machine is locally produced and that it has already been exported to 30 medical facilities in foreign countries.

Xmplar-DR is manufactured by Lodox, which is supported by the Independent Development Corporation (IDC). Today the IDC holds 95% shareholding in the company.

To date, the IDC has invested R200-million in it.

“What’s important about it is that the IDC is prepared to back innovative ideas and technologies, and allow them to be taken to markets and be commercialised, and in that process, create sustainable jobs in South Africa,” Patel said.

He said this was part of the new industrialisation path.