Saint John doctor criticizes MRI funding decision

A physician at Saint John Regional Hospital says the Department of Health should have upgraded MRI scanners at the hospital.

Health Minister Madeleine Dubé has been criticized in recent days for the decision to not to purchase higher quality MRI scanners in her recent budget.

Dr. John Whelan said the 1.5T machine currently used at the Saint John Regional Hospital should be replaced with what is called a 3T scanner.

He said the extra strength is needed for complicated surgeries and treatments at the hospital, including children who have to be put to sleep for imaging in the 1.5T machine.

Whelan said the added expense can be easily justified, because the Saint John Regional Hospital does some of the most complicated surgeries and treatments in the province.

"We're the only institution that puts kids to sleep for MR imaging. We do two every Thursday morning. A new 3T magnet, because of its strength and quickness may allow us not to put any of these children asleep. Certainly a great safety advantage in that," Whalen said.

The provincial government has decided to purchase six of the weaker MRI scanners rather than three of the 3T ones.

Dubé defended the funding decision last week during question period.

"I just mentioned that the Canadian Research Centre says the outcome is going to be the same for the patients. People won't have to travel because they'll have a new MRI right in their own region," she said.

Dubé said she's just following the advice of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, an independent non-profit organization based in Ottawa that advises provincial governments on how to invest in healthcare.

The agency said 3T MRIs do produce better quality images but the evidence does not yet show that better patient outcomes are a result.