New MRI machine at St. Paul's Hospital is reducing wait times, says health minister

The B.C. Ministry of Health says that residents now have access to a new MRI machine at St. Paul’s hospital in Vancouver. (St. Paul's Hospital)

Vancouver — The B.C. Ministry of Health says that residents now have access to a new MRI machine at St. Paul’s hospital in Vancouver.

The machine, which began operating in June, is reducing wait times, according to Health Minister Adrian Dix.

“By having a new 3T MRI at St. Paul’s Hospital, we’re able to make great strides in cutting down wait lists for people and deliver services faster, better and closer to home,” Dix said in a statement.

The machine became operational at the hospital on June 14, 2021, and is already having a tremendous impact on patient care.

Access to MRI machines has long been an issue in B.C., and the province’s most recent throne speech pledged money to address the issue.

MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging – the machines use powerful magnets and radio waves, along with a computer, to capture detailed images of the inside of a person’s body.

The majority of the $6.6 million project to purchase and get the machine going was paid for by fundraising efforts. Donors ultimately raised $4.1 million over a period of eight years.

“Having access to technology like the 3T MRI is fantastic news for patients,” said Spencer Chandra-Herbert, MLA for Vancouver West-End, in a statement.

“We’ve seen through the past few months dealing with the challenges of COVID-19 how crucial top-of-the-line diagnostics are, and this new MRI will help with advancing research, which is a big win for St. Paul’s and for British Columbians.”

The new 3T MRI machine is said to improve patient care “on many levels,” according to the ministry.

Specifically, it provides faster scans and higher image quality than St. Pauls’ two older machines.