Medical manufacturing giant Samsung Healthcare is pitching for a record €6 mln deal to supply 55 ultrasound units to state hospitals, the biggest contract of its kind in Cyprus and Europe.
The tender was posted on the government’s eProcurement platform, and offers are expected to be submitted by the end of the year.
This follows the delivery in early October of 10 Samsung GM85 Mobile systems to be used by the radiology department of each hospital to support different units such as ICU, Covid, orthopaedics, and the accident and emergency department.
The €2 mln contract, separate from the tender, includes the service contract of labour and parts for 10 systems over ten years and ten more units to be delivered within the first two years of the agreement.
The purpose of the purchase, the biggest supply contract in recent years and after a lull in orders during the Covid pandemic, was to replace the existing “analogue” equipment that had reached their end of life.
The first phase of user training was completed on October 15, and the second phase on October 27.
Hospitals’ operator OKYPY installed three units at Nicosia General hospital, two each in Limassol and Larnaca, and one each in Famagusta, Paphos and the Makarios maternity and children’s hospital Nicosia.
Faster and more efficient
The main benefits of the Samsung GM85 Mobile system are the ‘advanced driving experience’ allowing access anywhere as it is ultra-compact with a small footprint and lightweight battery-powered for driving and exposure.
An equally important benefit is the innovative enhanced usability that streamlines the workflow with no need for grid installation and removal of the older systems.
This results in the reduction of total examination time by 28%.
The GM85 boasts a fast-charging time of four hours that allows the units to be used all day without charging, in addition to precise alignment and quick patient positioning and built-in cyber security.
“However, the biggest benefit of all is one that will be seen by patients and operators alike,” said Sofoklis Sofokleous, General Manager of IMS-IatroMed representing Samsung Healthcare in Cyprus.
He said the new system’s superior image quality results in precise dose control for paediatric patients, consistent image quality, and clear and precise high-quality images with a low dose, with a significant reduction in the dose of up to 50%.
According to state hospital sources, there is no such high-quality system as the Samsung GM85 in the private sector.
