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Central Healthcare plans to build a medical facility in Palmerston North’s Milson Line to complement private health services provided at Crest Hospital.
Palmerston North patients will have access to PET CT medical scanning for the first time, without having to leave town, when a new healthcare facility opens in the city.
Pacific Radiology will be an anchor tenant at Central Healthcare’s planned new health centre to be built in Palmerston North’s Milson Line, bringing with it technology not currently available in Manawatū.
Central Healthcare chairman Daniel Marshall said the partnership would provide better access for both private and public patients to improved medical imaging services closer to home.
Pacific Radiology’s new suite will be part of the first stage of the two-stage development near the Julia Wallace Retirement Village.
Construction of the centre was expected to start next year, with the first stage opening in 2025.
It will add PET CT (positron emission tomography) scanning to Palmerston North’s range of services for the first time.
Pacific Radiology Wellington/Manawatū managing radiologist Rodney Wu said PET CT scanning enabled more accurate diagnosis of cancer and inflammatory diseases than other types of imaging.
It meant more targeted and individual treatment could be prescribed.
It would save patients having to travel to Wellington for PET CT scans, providing specialists and patients with access to the most up-to-date imaging available.
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A Pacific Radiology PET CT scanner will take pride of place at Central Healthcare’s new centre in Palmerston North.
Central Healthcare is a lower North Island entity owned by about 40 specialist clinicians.
It entered a joint venture partnership with Southern Cross in ownership of the city’s Crest private hospital earlier this year.
The new facility was planned to complement hospital services, providing space for radiology, specialist consultations, and possibly interventional cardiology and dentistry.
Pacific Radiology, with its sister companies in Auckland and Bay of Plenty, was New Zealand’s largest private radiology company with more than 140 radiologist shareholders.
Its Palmerston North branch had been operating since 2015.
Marshall said the partnership would be great for Palmerston North.
“Pacific Radiology and CHL share the same vision for state-of-the-art treatment to be delivered to patients close to home.”
Wu said it was a significant step towards expanding the city’s healthcare services, and underscored the commitment of local medical specialists to elevate healthcare standards in the region.
