From radiographic film to modern scanner, the Cenhsoa has undergone profound transformation. A former technician testifies to this evolution and future challenges.

Master Gendarme Olivier Christophe Mampitohy is among the veterans of the Soavinandriana Hospital Center (Cenhsoa). He embodies the living memory of the technical and structural evolution of the establishment. A radiography and scanner technician, he experienced the era when radiographic images were dried manually. "When I arrived in 2007, we noticed the obsolescence of the equipment," he recalls. "We still washed films with development products. We had to dry the image with a hair dryer," he continues.

Techniques have since evolved considerably. Today, the steady hum of digital printers and next-generation scanners punctuates his daily routine. "We take the image out of the printer and it's ready to be delivered to the patient, immediately, if there's no interpretation needed," he explains.

Spectacular Change

The modernization of infrastructure didn't stop there. The installation of a "four-slice" scanner marked a decisive turning point in patient care. "Our capacity doubled, going from 25 to 30 patients in 24 hours currently with this new machine," says Olivier Christophe Mampitohy. An efficiency this hospital carefully manages. "The device can perform up to 50 procedures in 24 hours. But we preserve the equipment to make it last," clarifies Olivier Christophe Mampitohy.

For this technician, the most spectacular change remains the overall improvement in care and working conditions, under the leadership of Prof. Willy Ratovondrainy, the hospital's current director general. "The team shows real motivation in patient care. The transformation of the premises is striking. The water problem is permanently solved, the hospital produces its own oxygen instead of depending on external sources, and all facilities have been completely renovated. Once, our corridors were dark, lit by a single bulb. Today, light is everywhere. All buildings have been repainted, which had only happened once since my arrival in 2007. Beds are equipped with covers, and flowers adorn the courtyard," he recounts.

Miangaly Ralitera