Health Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux has disclosed that the High Intensity Focus Ultrasound (HIFU) machine which was sourced for the new national hospital, cost US$2.5 million.
Dr. Darroux and other officials visited the HIFU Theatre, of the China Dominica Friendship Hospital at the Princess Margaret Hospital compound on Wednesday.
The purpose was to have a first-hand view of the HIFU machine.
He said during an interview, that this unique equipment will be used to treat tumors – both benign tumors and certain malignant tumors – especially prostate cancer.
“It has been proven particularly useful in the treatment for prostate cancer, but in recent years, it has been used in the treatment of kidney, liver among many others,” he stated. “This wonderful piece of equipment we see, is a surgical tool.”
According to Dr. Darroux, the hospital project came apart from the infrastructure and other basic equipment, such as beds, will ould have come with some new equipment including an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging).
“So those of you out there who are concerned why a HIFU and not an MRI, an MRI machine is also part of the project which will soon be on island,” he stated..
Dr. Darroux said the HIFU is not so much of a new technology, “In fact this technology has been around for the past decade and a half, but it has only been recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration of America.”
Furthermore, he said, there are other developed countries such as Australia, that are already using this equipment to treat various forms of cancers.
“It was finally approved by the FDA back in 2016 to begin non-invasive surgical treatment,” he explained. “This is a surgical piece of equipment where you do not have to undergo a surgeon’s scalpel anymore.”
That is too expensive. Rip off.
Is that so? Have you done your research on it? Do you have any information that can prove your claim?
Worried about cancer? Change you diet first.
Anon, I am going to teach you something, which nobody in the medical profession can deny; I don’t care who, but unless there has been recent research since my departure as a medical school drop out; even in premed school:
I was taught that every one of us, every human, born and are alive are born with cancer cells in our body!
It does not matter what sort of diet we maintain if we are prone to cancer, noting we do will prevent it.
The reason why the cancer cells in some people proliferate and in others they don’t medical science have yet to find out the cause!
You also have to understand that some cancers are cause by the environment in which some people live; some chemicals do cause cancer too, In Dominica plenty people has cancer caused by chemicals used in Agriculture, which ran-off into our artisan well which is the source of our drinking water.
In Louisiana entire communities has cancer due to chemicals in the environment!
Skerrit speaks of things he knows not about. The man is not a medical practitioner even though he has two doctorates. Yet, he wants to pronounce on issues of health and sideline the real doctor. He has no professional training in financial matters or economics, yet, again, he’s the Minister of Finance. His penchant for controlling everything, his secretive obstinacy, his serial lying, his doggedness to hold on to power, all these have resulted in calamitous consequences on the country. The economy, social cohesion, the public service are all in serious disarray because of one man who has gotten carried away by the intransigent support of his sycophants. Only REAL CHANGE will upend what obtains presently in Dominica. Flog this man and his bodyguards with your votes next election day.
Sir, not all doctorates are medical. Some are intellectual and academic. Those are citations of honour and recognition. As Dominicans we should all be happy that a Dominican has been so honoured…..Doubly so.
Never trust the utterances of any of Skerrit’s altar boys. They oversell everything they do to reap political hay. The use of the HIFU machine, mainly to treat postage cancer, is still being very closely examined. Only very, very highly trained surgeons should use this technology. People, do your own research and not just rely on the politically driven convictions of these relentlessly corrupt politicians. From what I have gathered, the jury is still out on the effectiveness of this machine. Remember Dominicans, general election is a stone throw away and all things said or done by this government at this time are strictly for political advantageousness. Verify then believe.
No matter the cost he still FU
Guys lets remember what was said by Dr. HiFU, because it seems we forget fast.
And I quote:
“… and just to give an idea of the state of art nature of the hospital ladies and gentlemen… we have a piece of equipment call a HIFU… go on line and do research on it… and we have been told that Dominica is one of two countries in the Caribbean with that equipment ladies and gentlemen… you know the way that machine works, if you sick they can do surgery on you with out cutting you… with out cutting you… so you do the surgery tonight, tomorrow morning you home”… end quote.
First of all a HiFU is not state of the art equipment it has been around since 1994, second its not for any sickness, Mr. Skerrit’s statement is misleading and thirdly that unit does not cost 2.5 million. Please stop lying.
A MRI and CAT scan machine cost an average of $150,000.00 USD each, and they are more state of the art. So if all you paid 2.5 million, somebody rip all you off, but we all know you…
This is DA, the true cost might be 1.5 million but don’t forget the commission payments… Corruption everywhere in DA!
Have you done your research on the Hifu machine which was installed here in Dominica?
Also, are you aware that a new MRI machine has also since been installed?
Here is the most expensive HIFU machine I saw online: https://www.ebay.com/itm/183783426225.
As I said there are many different types, some are even used in beauty shops.
But even the type that targets a single tumor in a hospital as displayed by Darroux seems to cost less than two million dollars.
Read my two previous submissions.
The services of that HIFU in the hospital has a limited use!
But as everything else they must exaggerate things to prove nothing.
The fact is Roosevelt thought when he came out talking nonsense about HIFU machine which sounds like Chines Mandarin Dominicans would believe he has a wander machine to cure all internal disease.
The man is a clown, if you read my submission you will discover exactly what that particular HIFU is designed to do.
It is limited!
WOW so out of the $2.5 million dollars Darroux alone maybe got $2million for his retirement package? They maybe got it in China for$100 dollars and they telling us they bought it for 2.5 million
to the first time voters like myself,see why it is important for every ministry to speak on their behalf and not one man/person/the leader to only be speaking on EVERY ministry.Mr.Skerrit always does this and then the people around him have to clean his communist mess.the leader made a fool out of the health ministry in castle bruce. and besides,i know they are lying about the cost of the machine just like every other costing of government projects. this man disrespects his other ministries and ministers too much.even the way he just appears and starts walking in the crowd just to get pictures/photoshoots with people around him in the crowd for billboards/manifestos just to create a false image that he is loved,WHILE the others are speaking,laying out their respective plans& proposals on stage and abruptly have to brush their self aside while he takes the spotlight all to himself. these ministers and new candidates have ALOT of patience & tolerance for 1 conceited man. goodluck to them
see why we need a proper government that has a democratic structure? see why it is highly important for ministers to do their work and speak on their portfolios and ministrial duties?see why it is important for ministers to have say in their respective ministries and their positions are respected enough to let them do their work? 1 man cannot,i repeat cannot keep doing this in a democracy in a commonwealth country at that. i am 21 years old and i am seeing Mr.Skerrit is showing all the signs of a communist leader.i watch news about these types of leaders and read everyday about them!the way he acted out in castle bruce about this hifu machine and now the real person thats supposed to talk about this hifu machine now has to come second gearing to clear the air and explain properly AFTER the undermining of his health ministry at castle bruce. i can now understand why this leader needs to hire so many around him to save him and advise him because if it were up to him alone,hm. #votingwise
Dr Darroux you have done well ,well this person more than likely deserves to travel do not matter what is done is a jealousy and a complaint. The number one cause of death for men is prostate , the machine has to ability to perform dry surgery for cancer cells such as liver,pancreas,breast,bones,kidneys,colon prostate ,etc . Continue to complain but i am greatfull that we do have this machine.
Don’t you all people think we should have had all those types machines before now with all those millons that is in DA
2019 Average Ultrasound Machine Prices: How … – costowl.com
https://www.costowl.com/healthcare/healthcare-ultrasound-machine-costs.html
Ultrasound Machine Average Costs . Ultrasound machines start at about $10,000 and range up to $200,000.
The price depends largely on the level of technology.
A small clinic can purchase a simple, black and white ultrasound machine on the low end of that price range while a large hospital might pay $150,000 for a color machine that produces .
Roosevelt started this controversy, because there are many different type of such machines in the price range of five hundred dollars, some are used for tightening body tissues such as facial and belly skin!So when talked about his HIFU thing one had to laugh, at the way he presented it!
They lie so much it is impossible to believe anything these lairs say: I would like Darroux to produce a receipt which proves that HIFU machine cost more than two million US dollars.
There are many different types of HIFU machines: Watch this now:
High intensity focused ultrasound |
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/…/other/high-intensity-focused-ultrasound-hifu
Aug 13, 2018:
The high intensity ultrasound beam is focused directly onto the cancer which heats the cells up and kills them.
HIFU as a treatment for cancer.
HIFU is only useful to treat a single tumour or part of a large tumour. It can’t be used to treat tumours that are more widespread.
This means that HIFU is not suitable for people with cancer that has spread to more than one place in their body.
Machine pretty and useful. But is there a technician and a vice technician already trained to use it? Equipment is useless unless it can be used. New hospital, new beds, new equipment, same staff, same procedures(five months to schedule a scan) same crappy conditions. NO SENSE
That’s the thing. The ‘state of the art hospital’ is gonna have a heli pad as well but nobody can fly a helicopter let alone afford to put one on the heli pad in the first place. Lies, lies, lies and more lies from a corrupt crime minister!
In Acts chapter 5:1-8, Ananias and Sapphira also tried to convince Peter and them that they sold their land for such and such but were they being truthful? The reason they both died within the space of 3.5 hrs was because they lied and gave bogus amounts. As the real and only Evangelist on this site I say to Dr. Darroux that he is very conservative with the truth and he better be very careful now that he is leaving politics.
Hope D RORO MAN got it. He has been on a campaign on his shows(ON THE HOT SEAT and TALK ON THE BLOCK) saying that the machine cost a few thousand dollars(no more than $5000.00), hope he got the figures right and stop peddling the garbage he has been preaching.
This guy is so deceitful he won’t even correct his callers when THEY call his program and say the first phase of the New Hospital is opening with 12 beds for patients. To see and hear Mr. endorses such a statement, one wonders what kind of JOURNALIST this guy is when he knows that the 12 beds were to accommodate dialysis patients.
All this guy does is spread FAKE NEWS incite disorder.
DNO knowing the history of this government and how they always seem to be miscalculating like we saw with those garbage bin error that some refer to as bin bobol, land transfer error, where they made a mistake with the taxes and then most recently when a police officer accidentally swept over $50,000 US dollars from monies collected from Haitians at the airport, I must say that I have a hard time accepting what these guys say. if I order a car from Japan I cannot just go and tell the Customs that I bought the car for US$10K dollars you know. They want to see the invoice, copy of the bank transfer, the company website and sometimes even your account. I will not ask Dr. Darroux and Skerrit for all that but to remove all doubts I ask them to show us the invoice of the HIFU machine. I know they might be able to show us the amount they requested from the treasury but knowing Dr. Darroux is no longer a politician I want to be able to prove that he was not given a bonus from the $2.5 million
The cost of a machine is irrelevant to its effective use.
I hope this expansion means that we are going to employ the many doctors and medical technologists and chemists that we have sent abroad to study. The equipment won’t run and maintain themselves. That’s another thing – maintenance. We have spent so much money on it, let’s take care of it. So I suppose employment in the health sector will increase. Next is the Marigot hospital, Portsmouth if needed, Grandbay and the health centers around the island. Let’s continue to improve our health services.
It’s not gonna happen as long as Skerrit is in charge. If we want proper health care we need to get a proper new government first. Lies don’t built a good health service, lies don’t built a new hospital in Marigot, lies don’t built an international airport, lies don’t finish the geothermal, lies don’t built new roads, lies don’t get agriculture going again, lies don’t establish an agri-processing Industrie, lies won’t feed Dominicans…
All of a sudden the HIFU cost millions! This guys are really desperate.
Dr. Dr HIFU told us that he bought a machine to do facelift for the DLP Rep in Roseau and it cost $2500. US.
Now Daroaux talking his nonsense. !
Dr. HIFU has to go for Dominica to grow.
Dominica is always last KarKarRat in everything..So what to do? Praise Skerrit for that? My answer is NO!!! This is not a new invention. With all the bad governance and wastage, why couldn’t this be on island years ago? This reminds me of when lazy Skerrit had his fools celebrating night landing, when all the other countries around us had their international airport..This DLP is replete with wicked leaders taking advantage of an unsuspecting electorate.
Skerrit Must Go
Skerrit Must Go
Lazy Skerrit Must Go t
Why does Darroux come now to cover up and make excuses for Dr. Dr. HIFU ? He has already made his Fopa so no need to try to pretend that this machine that you pulled up online is the one Dr. Dr HIFU was talking about.
I know he told you to support him throughout the campaign to garrnattee the remainder of your money but you are a real DR. So stand up for what is right.
Well done. As a cancer survivor, this is a game changer for all our citizens at home. I am very excited about this news.
that price is a big fat lie
A high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) procedure is a new technique approved by the FDA to remove prostate tissue. Though it hasn’t been approved for the treatment of prostate cancer in the U.S., it is being used in clinical trials to treat it.
source: https://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/prostate-cancer-hifu-surgery#1
Thank you DNO, that’s the equipment i saw in doing my research, praises Jah we have one here on island, thanks to the Chinese Government for their continued support to our people, and thanks to this government for their foresight in negotiating (AKA begging to the uwp) this huge improvement in our health care… They do deserve another five more years to continue the good works!!!!!
De mat need to apologize to the Prime Minister for his foolish utterances claiming the PM is acting on the ignorance of the people and that the Machine costs less than USD$10k and encouraging his callers to bash the PM saying Dominica do not need that type of machine because it is a Plastic Surgery equipment…….
I always ask these people what is development if all what’s happening is not development, i need to know what it is from their point of view!!!!!
Thank you for the information. After listening to Dr Dangleben, I thought it was truly a cosmetic machine and it was right there when I googled it. However, when I googled the information given by Dr Darroux, I found a wealth of information. Noted that
HIFU can treat various types of tumours, benign or malignant, in different organs. And now it can be applied to solid tumours in the liver, bone, breast, kidney, pancreas, uterus and soft tissues, and tumours listed as below.
Abdomen malignant tumours such as Breast cancer, Rectal cancer,
Tumours in Kidney, Prostate, Bladder, Uterine fibroid, Tumors in the pelvic cavity,
Soft tissue sarcomas, Benign tumours of soft tissues
Retroperitoneal tumour,
Tumour metastasis
Superficial tumours
Palliative treatment for advanced malignancy
Recurrence of solid tumours after conventional surgery
Residual tumour after failed surgery, which is not suitable for a repeat surgical procedure
From a brief researching on this HIFU machine I’ve been hearing about.
A HIFU machine is PREDOMINATELY used to burn fat, face lifts wrinkles etc. now, it has only been recently used in some countries to treat tumors by heating them and it hasn’t been approved by the US yet. Given that, do we have the expertise for this?
Also a bit of a fact check, the PM said that you no longer have to go under a scalpel, not 100% true, if you simple have to burn away cancer cells, the machine has the ability to do so. Anything else…you have to go under the knife.
If you google “HIFU cancer treatment”, you will see that results for it treating cancer is not conclusive as they do not have 10 years of research data as yet. Meaning, countries such as Canada, Australia, England (NOT America) recently begun using this in trials.
As a result, there is no long term data, or research Basically, this machine is in trial stages in the big countries.
PS :DNO, I need more space to type >.<
UCLA tried the machine in 2009 met all the prerequisite of the FDA and got approval for use in 2016. That being said aren’t you happy that we in Dominica can blaize the trail with that new technology? Too me this is the focus, i know if that machine was being boasted about in another island all you so would be saying we building new hospital with same old equipment…. you people are just not PATRIOTS!!!!!!
Dr Darroux just when I was trying to have some respect for you, you have reminded me that I should not. 2.5M for a machine that cant help us unless we have proper diagnosis? The basic CT and MRI is what we need for preliminary diagnostics before we get to the stage of a TRIAL machine! That money can reduce the amount of GoFundMe we are bombarded with on a daily basis. Why are you all doing this?
Dominicans whether you are red or blue how can you accept this? You realise you have to go overseas first then come back before you will maybe need that machine? Lord have mercy. Can our govt get anything right?
Frank N Stein
May 24, 2019
Oh so should we send it back, tell the donors we do not want it because we do not have a diagnosis machine?????
Man just be grateful, it’s a start and we are on the right path, the damn hospital isn’t ready for business yet so does it matter which one comes first? When the hospital is ready for public use all equipment will be their including the MRI, and just so you know we do have a CT SCAN machne at PMH…
“Health Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux has disclosed that the High Intensity Focus Ultrasound (HIFU) machine which was sourced for the new national hospital, cost US$2.5 million.”
Now is donation? Well will the lies stop. Anything donated should be accepted but nowhere did they state its a donation so stop spinning. You all say we have CT but it takes a year to get to use it, cuz its always down. lol stupes.
no you dont have to go overseas because there is an MRI too.. where are you guys when reports were given as to what will be in the hospital
But that is the whole idea. This policy is to develop the full rage, the whole nine yards of proper medical treatment so instead of us going overseas , overseas residence will have to come to Dominica. Just think of it people with health issues from Martinique will be coming to us for treatment. We have to hope for the highest level.
No you don’t have to go overseas because there will be an MRI as well…
Till the MRI is here and operational I will have to go overseas then?. That is the status. A promise does not heal an illness.