ARMADALE-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital can now offer men prostate ultrasounds and biopsies closer to home, thanks to new equipment worth $97,000 that will save men having to travel to other hospitals for tests.
The new ultrasonic machine has already enabled 12 men to undergo 15-minute procedures since it arrived at the hospital in July.
Senior anaesthetic technician Stuart Marsden urged men to see their GP for regular health checks.
“Men’s health is often overlooked and misunderstood,” the father-of-two said.
“Make sure you get regular checks to make sure you are around to see your kids grow up and celebrate many more Father’s Days.”
Acting surgical services manager Ella Collier said having the equipment in Armadale meant it was a lot easier for men, who have been referred by their GP, to have further tests done if blood tests showed there was a need for further investigation.
“We haven’t been able to offer this before here as a day procedure and men would have had to go to Royal Perth or Fremantle hospitals or pay to have it done privately,” Mrs Collier said.
Equipment purchased included a $43,000 ultrasound, $11,000 sterilisation unit and $43,500 for enough probes so that eight procedures could be done in close succession to minimise delays caused by sterilisation.