The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The province will invest $8 million to develop a dedicated childrenÕs MRI that it says will improve patient care and help reduce wait times for all Manitobans who need diagnostic imaging services. Funded under a two-year provincial strategy to invest in high-priority specialized health equipment, the province investment will permit the purchase and installation of the new MRI equipment at a new facility at the ChildrenÕs Hospital in Winnipeg. It is expected to be operational in 2010. ÒBy matching the right combination of equipment, facilities and people, we are creating a stronger health-care system that focuses on effective, timely diagnosis,Ó said Health Minister Theresa Oswald. ÒA dedicated MRI for children will help improve access for everyone.Ó ÒThis pediatric-friendly MRI will mean an improved range of services we can offer ManitobaÕs youngest citizens,Ó said Dr. Cheryl Rockman-Greenberg, head of pediatrics at ChildrenÕs Hospital. ÒThis investment will translate into better care for infants and children.Ó MRIs produce detailed pictures of internal human anatomy and provide high-quality test results safely and quickly. They can be used to find tumours, bone and joint problems, internal bleeding, blood vessel diseases and infections. The dedicated childrenÕs MRI will become the ninth MRI operating in Manitoba, including two outside of Winnipeg. Oswald said more than $85 million will be invested in specialized medical equipment across Manitoba over the next two years, representing a two-year doubling of the provinceÕs annual specialized health equipment budget.
