Hospital plans include space for MRI, RHA says

“Unfortunately, at this point, it’s a plan. We don’t know who has to fund that. Is the government going to fund it? Or are they going to look for a donor to fund it or go to the community?”

He said it could be a situation similar to the Pineview Terrace Lodge where the province builds the “shell” and goes to the community to furnish it. As well, he said there would need to be a lot of money raised if the MRI machine is installed.

“The hospital is still in the planning stages. We meet with the hospital as a board on a regular basis, so I have put that on the agenda at our next meeting where we meet with the whole board to breach the subject of the MRI,” Dionne said.

The discussion about private MRI clinics was sparked by the provincial government’s introduction of a bill to allow private MRI clinics in Saskatchewan. The bill introduced earlier this month is aimed at reducing wait times.

According to the provincial government, there are up to 5,000 people currently waiting to undergo an MRI.

The RHA’s announcement follows statements made by Dionne earlier this week about opening the doors to a private MRI clinic in the city.

“We have a new hospital on the horizon, the new hospital will not have an MRI, because the investment the government has to make into them,” he said.

But if the time comes and the Victoria Hospital Foundation is asked to help, its executive director Sherry Buckler said the foundation will step up and put a campaign in place to raise funds for a MRI.

She said it’s hard to say at this point how much money would need to be raised.

“We’d have to sit down with the health region and discuss … all kinds of variables,” she said. “But from the foundation’s perspective, our mission is to support them. And if they need our help with that, we’ll be ready.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

by Thia James

Hospital plans include space for MRI, RHA says

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