Northern Hospital will received a new Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner if Labor is re-elected at this month’s state election.
PET scans are imaging tests used to find and monitor the spread of cancers, diagnose heart disease, brain disorders and other conditions.
Unlike some scans that only provide a picture of the body’s structure, a PET scan looks at cellular changes to see how the body is working. They can detect changes in organs and tissues earlier than traditional CT or MRI scans.
A re-elected Labor government will invest $44 million to deliver eight new PET scanners at the Ballarat Base Hospital, Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton, Sunshine Hospital, the Northern in Epping, Werribee Mercy Hospital, Warrnambool Base Hospital, Frankston Hospital and Wangaratta Base Hospital.
PET scans are already available for patients at a number of major metropolitan and regional hospitals
Premier Daniel Andrews said having access to a PET scanner close to home makes a massive difference to patients and their families.
“It means answers, and critically, earlier access to life-saving care,” he said.
