Media Release

Power restored to Buhler building

PET CT scanner up and running; extended imaging hours scheduled this week

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Monday, March 14, 2016

Patients whose diagnostic imaging appointments were put on hold due to a power outage at the Health Sciences Centre’s Buhler Building March 8 will receive some good news this week. Staff from the University of Manitoba, which operates the building, worked through the weekend to restore power after a sewer backup led to a power outage affecting four (4) floors of the building and putting approximately 48 appointments on hold.

A custom-fabricated component required to fix the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) CT scanner was installed Saturday morning and a thorough safety inspection was performed during a day-long power restoration process.

A PET CT scanner uses radiation, or nuclear medicine imaging, to produce 3-dimensional, colour images of functional processes within the human body. It can be used to detect and monitor the development of conditions including epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease.

“It’s a tremendous relief to have the PET CT scanner up and running again so quickly,” said Dana Erickson, Chief Operating Officer, Health Sciences Centre. “We have begun the process of rescheduling appointments cancelled last week on a priority basis and hope to have all missed appointments conducted by the end of the week.”

Erickson was quick to acknowledge the teamwork and collaboration required to bring the scanner back online, permitting this week’s appointments to proceed on schedule.

“We’re extremely grateful for the diligence and hard work of University of Manitoba staff and electrical contractors who worked around the clock to resolve this issue as quickly as possible”, said Erickson. “I also want to thank HSC staff who are working extended imaging hours to catch up on scans postponed last week. Everyone has pulled together to expedite this fix and minimize downtime and patient impact for the PET CT program.”