MRI machine coming to Brockville General Hospital in 2023
The Ontario government announced Thursday that it will invest in annual operating costs towards a new MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine at Brockville General Hospital (BGH).
The announcement was made by Leeds Grenville - Thousand Islands- Rideau Lakes MPP Steve Clark, in front of a small crowd at the hospital.
"Although we are announcing what is a piece of equipment, it's the tool that will allow our doctors, our clinicians, our nurses, everybody in this hospital to provide top quality service," said BGH board chair Micheal Adamcryck.
"Right now we have people travelling up and down the highways to receive an MRI and it's just not acceptable. As it was pitched to me at a board meeting, this is the gold standard in diagnostic equipment and I have no doubt that we are a better community because of it."
MRI machines are used to diagnose medical conditions such as abnormalities of the brain, tumours, cysts and soft-tissue injuries.
"It's a premier diagnostic tool for bones, joints, muscles, solid organs," said Dr. Andrew Hamilton, Brockville General Hospital's chief of staff.
"It doesn't just identify anatomy, but it can look at physiology, so it's an absolutely important high tech up-to-date tool and I'm grateful for it to be added to Brockville general," Hamilton said.
Brockville General Hospital.
Local residents would have to travel to Kingston, Cornwall or Ottawa to access MRIs, with a waiting average of up to four to five months, which can impact diagnosis and quality of life.
"Together we've delivered to ensure that patients in our region and our front line healthcare providers have the tools like this MRI that they need," said Clark.
"Many people travel to Kingston, to Ottawa to get this service and I had to travel to Kingston when I needed an MRI," he added.
The cost of the MRI machine and the building it will be housed in is estimated to cost $6 million.
"Each organization needs approval from the government for an MRI service and also comes with operational dollars," said president and CEO of BGH Nick Vlacholias.
"Today is the announcement for the approval of the MRI, plus operational dollars and then we have to raise the local share with regards to the capital costs," he added, saying those costs are made possible through generous community donations.
The hospital expects the MRI to be fully operational in late 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.