No money to buy one, but the provincial government is committing funds for smaller and rural hospitals to operate magnetic resonance imaging or MRI machines.
A total of $20 million is being earmarked for 27 new MRIs.
MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to take detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body and can help diagnose various health problems, including brain injuries, heart disease and tumours and cancers.
“Our government is ensuring hospitals across the province have the funds they need to operate their new MRI machines and increase access to diagnostic imaging for people in their communities,” says Health Minister Sylvia Jones. “For some communities, this funding means they will have their first-ever MRI machine, and residents will have more convenient access to care closer to home.”
However, Jones says the purchase of the units is still up to hospitals.
“As with most hospital equipment, the actual purchase lies with the (hospital) foundation and the community,” says Jones.
“As soon as those machines are in place, there is a commitment from the province of Ontario to fund them – as long as they are operating.”
The cost of an MRI can run as high as one million dollars.
There are currently no hospitals west of Thunder Bay with an MRI machine.
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