Radiology outreach: why care?

摘要

Can you remember the last time you personally needed some form of medical imaging - a magnetic resonance (MR) or computed tomography (CT) scan, or even a simple chest x-ray? Can you recall how far you had to travel, and how long you had to wait to receive this service? You may be startled to learn that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4 billion people - approximately two-thirds of the world's population - have little or no access to medical imaging services. Having trouble conceptualizing this figure? Consider that Pakistan, with an estimated population of 170 million, has only 80 CT scanners and 19 MR systems, which works out to roughly 1 CT scanner for every 2 million people and 1 MR scanner for every 9 million people. As alarming as this statistic seems, it becomes even more concerning when you consider that approximately 50% of all conditions for which patients seek medical attention require some form of medical imaging to reach a definitive diagnosis and to monitor the patient throughout the treatment process.