Four new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines are coming to Halifax hospitals over the next several months.

They are machines that use powerful magnets and a computer to take detailed pictures of inside the body to help doctors make decisions on treatment.

The province says the additions should help reduce wait times for patients.

Two MRI machines will be added to the system and two will be replaced:
– a new machine purchased through donations to the Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation will be in service at the hospital next month
– two machines will be replaced as part of the QEII Halifax Infirmary expansion project, with the first delivered by the end of June and the second later in the year
– the QEII Foundation, through donor support, has purchased a new relocatable MRI machine that can be moved to different facilities around the province; it is the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada and will be operational at the Bayers Lake Community Outpatient Centre by the end of July.

Health Minister Michelle Thompson says improving access to healthcare services for Nova Scotians requires using all the tools at our disposal and working together.

“I want to thank the Dartmouth General Hospital and QEII foundations and our partners at Nova Scotia Health for helping us deliver more care, faster, to Nova Scotians.”

An MRI machine at the Victoria General is also scheduled for replacement by 2025.