FRANCAIS

January 22, 2004

Health Minister Dave Chomiak announced today the province will invest in an MRI for the Pan Am Clinic as part of its plan to improve diagnostic wait times.

"The Canadian Association of Radiologists recently recognized Manitoba as having the third best wait time for this important diagnostic test," Chomiak said. "The Pan Am MRI builds on this success to improve health access for all Manitobans."

The minister made the statement at the Pan Am Clinic as part of his announcement of more than $17 million in diagnostic medical equipment for regional health authorities across the province.

"This is the first MRI in a community-based clinic in the province and will offer faster access to the diagnostic tools needed for quick and effective treatment," said Dr. Wayne Hildahl, COO of the Pan Am Clinic. "It not only adds capacity to the system, it means there will be less bumping for those awaiting elective procedures."

"Our goal in placing the MRI at the Pan Am Clinic is to further reduce waiting times for MRI procedures and to reduce the demands on the city's hospitals," said Dr. Blake McClarty of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. "This will greatly enhance our diagnostic program across the region."

The new MRI is in addition to a construction project already underway at the Pan Am Clinic. The project involves the expansion of the clinic’s main and lower levels.

Chomiak also noted that a number of medical equipment purchases have been approved for health authorities across the province. They include:

• $145,476 to Assiniboine Regional Health Authority for a radiography suite (Russell). This general duty X-ray equipment will help physicians treat patients more quickly.
• $900,000 to Brandon Regional Health Authority for a vascular intervention suite (Brandon Regional Health Centre). This highly specialized X-ray equipment is used to examine blood vessels, providing better patient diagnosis and more accurate therapy planning.
• $650,000 to Burntwood Regional Health Authority for a Digital RF System (Thompson). This general duty X-ray equipment is capable of producing digital images as well as scanning fluoroscopy procedures.
• $680,000 to Interlake Regional Authority for a Digital RF System (Selkirk).
• $278,459 to North Eastman Regional Health Authority for a general radiology suite (Pine Falls) and a computerized radiology suite (Beausejour). The general radiology suite will provide X-ray services to patients in the region. The computerized radiology suite is capable of turning X-ray scans into digital images.
• $6.7 million to Winnipeg Regional Health Authority for an MRI (Pan Am Clinic), two dual head gamma cameras (Health Sciences Centre and Grace General Hospital) and a lithotriptor (Health Sciences Centre). The lithotriptor is used to treat patients with kidney stones while the dual head gamma cameras are used in nuclear medicine to scan radioactive dyes injected in patients to help diagnose various illnesses including cardiac disease. The MRI is used to provide high-resolution pictures of the body to help identify tumors, strokes, degenerative diseases, inflammation, infection and other abnormalities in organs and soft tissues. This new equipment will help treat patients more quickly and reduce waiting times in the province.

The announcement of the new MRI and medical equipment for health facilities is part of the Manitoba Wait Time Reduction Plan which has five components:

• improving information services including an expanded Health Links and posting of wait times on Manitoba Health’s website, allowing patients to choose hospitals based on waiting times;
• expanding day surgery and out-patient diagnostics to free up hospital beds;
• investing in new diagnostic equipment for all regions of the province;
• expanding use of rural diagnostic equipment and operating theatres; and
• stabilizing and renewing the nursing workforce.

Funding for the new equipment originates from the federal government’s Diagnostic Medical Equipment Fund that was established to assist provinces and territories acquire and install diagnostic and treatment equipment.

The more than $17 million announced today is part of $156 million spent by the province during the past four years on medical equipment.

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