First mobile X-ray unit conducts TB testing for homeless
IRELAND'S first mobile X-ray unit began conducting Tuberculosis (TB) testing in a health check blitz at community sites easily accessible by homeless people and vulnerable migrants around various locations across Dublin recently.
The mobile vehicle is complete with a waiting area, consultation room and an X-ray unit to produce chest X-ray images to check for TB, a potentially serious infectious disease affecting the lungs.
This new unit is operated by the medical charity, Safetynet Primary Care, funded through the HSE National Social Inclusion Office and has been networked, for the first time, to the NIMIS (The National Integrated Medical Imaging System) by St James’s Hospital and the NIMIS national team; allowing radiologists to report on X-rays taken on board the vehicle from any location across the country.
Safetynet, in collaboration with St. James’s Hospital, will bring the voluntary health testing to emergency accommodations for homeless people and other community sites.
The UK Find and Treat team who donated the vehicle, which has undergone significant refurbishment, have conducted a number of campaigns in Dublin.
“Now in collaboration with HSE Public Health and other health care providers we can provide voluntary and integrated health testing for TB and other communicable diseases at locations all around the country,” explains Dr Fiona O’Reilly, General Manager, Safetynet.
Working with services providing health care to the homeless population and specialist secondary care services, the campaign will link those testing positive with further diagnostic and treatment services.
Ms Diane Nurse, HSE Social Inclusion National Lead, says, “The mobile unit is a good example of the partnership approach lending additional support where necessary to services around the country to care for vulnerable people in our communities.”
The Radiology Service Provider Global diagnostics has donated radiographer hours to the initiative.
Dr Niall Sheehy, Consultant Radiologist, St. James’s Hospital said, “The mobile X-ray unit now functions exactly as if it were a room in St James’s. No matter where it is in Ireland, radiologists and other experts both in St. James’s and around the country can review the findings and report on them immediately.
“This is the first time such a unit has been connected to NIMIS and was set up with the help of IT staff in St. James’s, the NIMIS national team and NIMIS Vendor Change Healthcare.”
