Media
Bringing Advanced Radiology Services to Underserved Communities in South Africa with FUSO converted Mobile Mammography Units.
Radhiant Diagnostic Imaging is a professional radiology and diagnostic imaging service on the move. They deploy their FUSO FE6-109 mobile clinics to bring state-of-the-art equipment and a highly qualified team to underprivileged communities across South Africa. Radhiant Diagnostic Imaging offers their services to individuals at central locations or through corporate events. Interested parties can easily make a booking by
visiting their website: https://rdisa.co.za/ or contacting them via telephone (0870770000) or WhatsApp on (0674036564).
About Doctor Anith Chacko
Doctor Anith Chacko is a visionary healthcare professional who completed his PhD in radiology at the University of Bristol in the UK in December 2024. But his amazing journey to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate started much earlier. He grew up in King William’s Town and matriculated from Dale College Boys High School in 1998. He earned his Bachelor of Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2004, followed by an internship and community service at Frere Provincial Hospital and Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in East London.
Between 2010 and 2014, Doctor Chacko specialized in radiology at the University of Pretoria. He returned to East London where he practised at East Coast Radiology. It was here that his dream to make a difference was born.
Doctor Chacko explains: “South Africa has approximately forty radiology practices, however, all are centred in the bigger urban areas, with the majority of our population not having convenient access to radiology services. I used to get a lot of patients from the surrounding towns of East London for mammograms and ultrasounds, often presenting with cancer that was already far too advanced. I knew in the back of my mind that we
needed to do something to improve awareness or do something to try to catch cancer earlier, because early detection is key to improving outcomes. In 2022, I got the idea to create a mobile mammography service to reach the surrounding towns. The idea came to life in 2023.
What started with a single mobile unit in 2023, catering primarily for the Border Kei region, has grown into a fleet of seven mobile units built on FE6-109 trucks by 2025, traveling across the country to all nine provinces across more than two hundred and fifty locations. In the first year of operations the single mobile unit was able to screen 1,250 patients, the number grew to more than 8,000 patients by the end of 2024. The dream is to reach even more people in 2025.
Each unit has a Code 10 driver and a qualified and certified mammographer. Today the company offers employment to seventeen permanent staff and over fifty mammographers on rotational locum tenens basis. While the screening procedure itself takes place in the mobile unit, all images are transferred to the head office for processing, diagnosis, and reporting. Doctor Chacko then shares the results with the patients and
their doctors.
Why FUSO?
“Our main considerations included reliable, durable, hardy, and robust trucks that would be able to travel to rural areas, often using gravel roads. The medical equipment is big and heavy, so we needed a truck that could carry the load, offer enough space for the equipment and provide comfortable room for patients. At the same time the trucks needed to be manoeuvrable and small enough for smaller parking areas. The FUSO FE6-109 ticked all the boxes, it has a reputation for being sturdy and high-quality and its reliability and durability is unquestionable. The final factor was the price, which was unbeatable for the value provided. It was an obvious choice for us.” says Doctor Chacko.
He continues: “FUSO offered us competitive pricing, strong service- and maintenance options and because I am from East London, I wanted to support local: Ronnies Commercial Vehicles East London. Ronnies Commercial Vehicles East London also recommended a body builder that was top notch, and able to customise the internal build of our mobile clinics with exact precision and the highest quality.”
After running the FUSO fleet for more than two years, the trucks are living up to expectations.
“We have had no major issues, no downtime, the trucks are fantastic. What I also like about FUSO is that getting the trucks serviced is not an issue. Thanks to FUSO’s extensive dealer footprint, the fleet can be serviced anywhere in South Africa without having to travel far or even back to East London.”
He concludes: “I give the FUSO brand a 10/10 rating and would highly recommend it to others. I have received excellent service from Ronnies Commercial Vehicles East London and having DTSA visit me and learning more about our operations was a genuinely nice touch.”
What is next for Radhiant?
Currently, mammograms in the mobile units are covered by medical aids and charged at R1,200 per scan for cash patients, which is the lowest price nationally. However, this reduced price is still not attainable for many South Africans. Radhiant is in the final stages of registering its Non-Profit Organization: Radhiant Foundation
( https://radhiant.foundation ), with the dream of offering mammograms at no cost to underprivileged communities.
DTSA, together with its dealer partner Ronnies Commercial Vehicles East London, thank Doctor Chacko and Radhiant Diagnostic Imaging for their support and for allowing us to be part of this amazing initiative and their journey. We are excited about the future and wish you continued success in your work and service to the community.
Ends.