Rural Medical Imaging opens its doors in Charters Towers

The Charter’s Towers community’s pleas for a CT scanner might have been answered with a privately owned medical imaging business opening at Goldtower Central.

The CT scanner at Rural Medical Centre in Charters Towers

The Charter’s Towers community’s pleas for a CT scanner might have been answered with a privately owned medical imaging business opening at Goldtower Central.

Rural Medical Imaging sent its CT scanner into its first revolution in Charters Towers on Monday much to the gratitude of patients in the area who now won’t have to travel all the way to Townsville throughout the week for scans, X-rays and ultrasounds.

Fresh calls for the imagery machine came over the weekend following the e-scooter crash of a 15-year-old boy who injured his face and had to be transported to Townsville hospital after staff needed a CT scan to ensure he hadn’t injured his spine or broken bones in his face.

Zavier Harper, a 15-year-old Leukemia survivor sustained facial injuries after crashing his scooter in January 2025. He was flown to Townsville University hospital due to the lack of CT scanner at Charters Towers hospital.

The owner, Mark Giffin, ventured out from his work with Queensland Health 18 years ago to work as a radiographer and sonographer for his own business after realising how much small communities struggle without access to important health services.

“I realised there are a number of country towns that could use a service but didn’t have a service,” he said.

“The big companies generally aren’t interested in doing smaller places like we do so we do quite well now.”

Picture: Sonographer and director Mark Giffin and receptionist Bev Giffin being examined.

The community of Charters Towers spent years campaigning for their first CT scanner, but even after being promised one in 2022 by the former state government, the hospital still remains devoid of one.

Mr Giffin said his company first looked to establish themselves in Charters Towers six years ago but after plans fell through, they had to wait for the right opportunity to present itself with Goldtower Central providing the perfect location.

Inside the new Rural Medical Imagery at Goldtower in Charters Towers

“We’ve had lots of feedback. Everyone we talked to is saying ‘It’s good to have, it’s such a needed service,’” he said.

The imaging centre will operate from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and will cater to all patients including those from the hospital.

The staff there can provide CT scans, bone mineral density tests, ultra sounds, echocardiograms and X-rays, all of which will be available to the Charters Towers Hospital during operating ours.

“It helps not overload the bigger cities as well with the patients coming down from the country, they can now get it done locally rather than having to drive,” Mr Giffin said.

“It saves a lot of costs for patients and saves the hospital a lot of money too.”

Originally published as Rural Medical Imaging opens its doors in Charters Towers