Siloam Gleneagles has new scanning device

TANGERANG (JP): Siloam Gleneagles Hospital, jointly owned by the Lippo Group and its Singaporean partner, introduced on Saturday its US$2 million Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Gyroscan INTERA 1.5.

Hospital director Satyanegara told a news meeting that the radiology unit, purchased from STI Nederland BV in Holland, was ready to give medical checkups to patients who want to try the new MRI for Rp 1 million ($120).

The MRI, which uses noninvasive radio-diagnostic imaging resulting in descriptions of human organs by using a magnetic field, was installed "to prevent Indonesians from leaving the country for a similar medical checkup," Satyanegara said.

Siloam Gleneagles Hospital is the second hospital in Asia to receive the latest version of the machine after a hospital in Japan.

The introduction of the new machine was also witnessed by Lippo Group chairman Mochtar Riady, Chinese Ambassador Chen Haihua, Mozambique Ambassador Jose Tivira Makorongo and representatives from STI Nederland BV.

Satyanegara said the MRI 1.5, which was introduced to the world late last year, was used by four hospitals worldwide, including Gleneagles Hospital.

Another version of the MRI has been used in 10 hospitals in Indonesia.

Ronald Hutapea from the Ministry of Health's Directorate General of Medical Care, who also attended the ceremony at the hospital, appealed to hospital management to also care about the poor.

Mochtar Riady insisted that "the MRI service must not be merely for the wealthy". (01)