GHA receives £100,000 donation from Pramila Trust for new testing equipment

The Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) has received a £100,000 donation from the locally based philanthropic organisation Pramila Trust to purchase a gastrointestinal function testing kit.

The new equipment, which consists of four items, will assist in diagnosing and managing gastrointestinal disorders.

It includes a High Resolution Impedance and Manometry system, a High Resolution Ano-rectal Manometry system, a Gastrogenius breath test monitor and an Urgent PC posterior tibial nerve stimulator.

The kit will allow a range of tests to be carried out in Gibraltar, providing doctors with more detailed information for diagnosis and treatment.

Patients will no longer need to travel to Spain or the UK for these tests, which will reduce waiting times and costs while improving access to care.

GHA Consultant General-Colorectal Surgeon and Specialist Gastroenterologist, Denes Kovacs, said: “We are grateful for the Pramila Trust for their generous donation which is going to be a great help in the management of our patients suffering of functional gastrointestinal disorders.”

“They will now be able to have their comprehensive testing done locally, offering new diagnostic possibilities and avoiding the inconvenience of needing to travel abroad.”

The tests that will now be available following the donation include a high-resolution oesophageal manometry which will measure how well the muscles in the oesophagus are working by tracking pressure levels during swallowing, detecting weaknesses or spasms that may cause swallowing problems.

Further tests include oesophageal impedance measurement which will check how well food and liquids move through the oesophagus by detecting the flow of acidic substances, helping to identify acid reflux from the stomach.

Anorectal manometry will measure the strength and coordination of the rectum and anus muscles, helping to assess bowel problems such as constipation or difficulty controlling bowel movements.

The breath test monitor will be used to assess small bowel bacterial overgrowth and gastroparesis. Patients will consume a liquid or food before blowing into the device at intervals.

The test will measure gases in the breath to show how quickly the stomach is emptying, helping doctors diagnose conditions that cause symptoms such as nausea and bloating.

The posterior tibial nerve stimulator is a non-invasive device used to treat faecal or urinary incontinence.

It works by sending mild electrical pulses through a small electrode near the ankle to stimulate the nerve controlling sphincter function, improving bladder or bowel control without the need for medication or surgery.

Trustee of the Pramila Trust, Vikrant Udeshi, said the organisation was delighted to be able to fund this new testing kit for the Health Authority.