SKMCH receives 2015 Patient-Centric Imaging Award

After two decades of providing free cancer care in Pakistan, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital (SKMCH) received the 2015 Patient-Centric Imaging Award.

The award was given for our child friendly initiative in the Department of Nuclear Medicine. SKMCH staff and volunteers from a local art college, joined forces to renovate the Gamma Camera room. The result was a child-friendly space in which many of our pediatric patients no longer require sedation.

Dynamic renal scans require a patient to lie down still for half an hour. But anyone with kids would know that this is impossible for smaller children, particularly if a child is anxious or feeling restless. Often sedation is necessary. But sedation exposes children to undesirable side effects and also puts an extra burden on the healthcare system.

In an effort to avoid unnecessary sedation, we decided to create a child-friendly ambience in the Nuclear Medicine department. In the Gamma Camera and Injection rooms, we adorned walls with pictures and even installed a digital screen for cartoons. We also provided technicians with in-house training about putting children at ease.

“The very idea of modifying the whole gamma camera room was very exciting and also challenging,” says Amjad Rashid, who is assistant manager of Nuclear Medicine at SKMCH. Amjad points out that since the renovation, there’s been a 21% drop in children who have needed sedation. And staff are confident this will grow. “The chance to make these children smile, and their parent’s appreciation, has made our efforts worthwhile.”

SKMCH was presented the patient-centric imaging award by Health Imaging Magazine.

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