Patients' diagnosis could take just minutes, instead of days, thanks to a new system installed at Mater Dei hospital following an investment of €4.5 million.
Speaking from one of the hospital labs, Health Minister Chris Fearne said some 50,000 tests are carried out daily at Mater Dei. With the new systems, he said, there is the possibility of every machine carrying out 600 tests per hour, up from just one. He did not say how many machines there are installed.
The systems started being used earlier in the week.
The systems, he said, are also equipped with artificial intelligence that facilitates diagnosis, meaning patients would get results quicker, improving treatment quality.
The AI systems will also know immediately whether any follow-up tests need to be ordered. To date, doctors were aware of this only after analysing test results.
The staff at the labs have already been trained to use the systems, Fearne said.