SIEMENS

In 2008, on the day after the opening ceremony of the Millennium Wing of the Southern Medical Clinic in Trinidad and Tobago — an oncology department within a 40-bed hospital that is bringing new hope to cancer patients in the Caribbean — the mayor of San Fernando, the town in southern Trinidad where the clinic is located, proudly announced that "This institution is equipped with the very latest technology and is the most modern facility in the Caribbean region."
For George Rhampersaad*, the day after the ceremony was to be one of the most difficult of his entire life. On that day he showed up for his annual checkup — with no symptoms. That had also been the case when he went for his previous checkup the year before at the same hospital. This time, his PSA blood levels were elevated. Doctors determined by palpation that his prostate gland was enlarged. An ultrasound exam and an MRI scan using a Siemens Magnetom Espree, both of which were performed on the same day, showed that there was a malignant tumor — as did the tissue sample.
Although Rhampersaad’s diagnosis sounded grim, there was a silver lining. For one thing, the new oncology department had discovered the carcinoma at an early stage that was amenable to treatment; for another, Rhampersaad’s treatment, a combination of hormone and radiation therapy, could be administered at a single location that was close to his home. Since then, he has benefited from modern diagnostic and treatment devices made by Siemens.
Marianne Vorbuchner, an oncology work flow manager at Siemens Healthcare, has supported the Southern Medical Clinic — a Siemens benchmark clinic for the entire Caribbean — for years. The advantages of integrating all diagnostic and treatment steps on site are tremendous, she says: "Previously, patients from Trinidad and Tobago who wanted to have first-class cancer treatment had to travel to the U.S. or the UK. Today they receive fully integrated care, all in one place." Patients are now being spared major inconvenience and significant travel expenses.
An additional advantage of the integrated oncology ward is the generally shorter treatment periods it offers. A largely paperless and filmless facility, the clinic has an excellent IT network. Diagnoses are automatically transferred back and forth between stations. The facility’s efficient processes also save valuable time in the struggle against cancer. And this, in turn, often cuts costs, because a diagnosis before a tumor metastasizes helps to avoid the elaborate treatments that would be necessary at a later stage of the illness. As Damian Rudder, a senior medical physicist at Southern Medical puts it, "The way all of the systems are integrated makes it easier for everyone to do their jobs and improves treatment."
Diagnostic and therapeutic equipment at Southern Medical includes computed tomography and magnetic resonance scanners from Siemens, as well as ultrasound devices and a Primus linear accelerator. In the field of radiation therapy, every millimeter counts. Here, the major objective is to damage as little healthy tissue as possible. "With MR Molecular Imaging (MRS), we’re able to accurately pinpoint the location of any malignant tumor and direct our biopsies and even our surgical therapy or radiation therapy to that specific site," says surgeon Adrian Indar.
For George Rhampersaad, his treatment in the new Millennium Wing of the Southern Medical Clinic meant two things: a good chance of a successful recovery, and treatment that has fewer side effects and is less strenuous than previous measures. In addition, the Clinic’s modern oncology department is aesthetically pleasing. Visitors are welcomed by a colonnade and tropical flowers grow around a bubbling fountain.

A Unique Center in the Middle East. Meanwhile, on another continent, the architects of a new children’s cancer hospital were also inspired by the philosophy that pleasant surroundings promote recovery. The futuristic buildings of the Children’s Cancer Hospital of Egypt (CCHE) in Cairo are located not far from the well-known Ahmad ibn Tulun mosque in the city’s southern quarter of Sayyida Zeinab. The building’s shape is modeled on that of a felucca, the traditional sailing vessel used on the Nile River. The clinic looks somewhat out of place in this neighborhood, which Cairo natives call "schaabi" — a traditional area with many small houses and workshops along lanes filled with shoeshine boys and tea sellers.
In the CCHE, young patients and their parents are welcomed in a cheerful interior with brightly colored mirrors and chairs, windows of multicolored glass, and colorful floor coverings. As you walk along the halls, you’ll often encounter young patients zipping around with toy trucks. In this clinic, laughing children can sometimes forget that this is probably the worst period of their lives.
The CCHE is the only pediatric oncology center of excellence of its kind in the Middle East. In fact, it is comparable only to advanced cancer institutes in the U.S. and Europe — an evaluation that was confirmed by distinguished participants in the First Scientific Symposium held by CCHE in July 2009.
The CCHE’s services are available to all children under 18, independent of the type of health insurance they have or their parents’ assets. However, a little luck is required in order to be accepted at the CCHE, which is financed exclusively through donations. If one of the clinic’s 180 beds happens to be free when a child’s cancer is first diagnosed, the child can benefit from world-class treatment.
The whole hospital enjoys digital technology, with fully integrated state-of-the-art radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy departments. An advanced hospital information system eradicates data flow inconsistencies, which could otherwise slow down treatment delivery and impair quality. Siemens also delivered and installed five operating theatres, a fully equipped intensive care unit with 30 beds, and a complete laboratory with highly advanced equipment.
The director of CCHE, Prof. Hany Hussein, is particularly pleased that the hospital could begin operating so quickly. "In cooperation with Siemens, we managed to implement the systems in just one third of the time we had originally planned," he says.
In addition to diagnostic and therapeutic devices, Siemens also provided the building infrastructure — including heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, the fire protection system, the electrical installations, and the data network. Thanks to their high energy efficiency, these systems help to minimize the hospital’s operating costs.
Although far apart, the Southern Medical Clinic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Children’s Cancer Hospital of Egypt have much in common. They are bringing ultramodern technology into regions that are emerging economically, and, above all, are providing hope to those in need.