Saint John MLA wants meeting over MRI

A Saint John MLA hopes to arrange a meeting between the premier and local health officials to discuss the province's controversial decision to purchase a less powerful magnetic resonance imaging machine for the Saint John Regional Hospital.

"There is agreement to get the parties all together … to discuss this issue that’s of grave concern to everybody," Saint John East MLA Glen Tait told CBC News on Thursday.

His comments come on the heels of a fellow MLA breaking ranks with the Alward government over the issue.

Fundy-River Valley MLA and former heart surgeon Jim Parrott joined Saint John hospital officials in calling for a 3T scanner in a commentary published Thursday.

Magnets in MRI systems are rated using a unit of measure known as a Tesla (T).

The province is buying 1.5T machines for hospitals in Saint John, Moncton, Edmundston, Miramichi and Bathurst over the next two years at a cost of $1.8 million dollars each.

The Saint John Regional Hospital Foundation had offered to put up the extra $1 million for the more advanced 3T unit for the city, but the province rejected that offer last week.

'This is more than just providing a million dollars to upgrade from a 1.5 to a 3. There’s other implications.' —Saint John East MLA Glen Tait

Parrott said in his commentary that he is disappointed by the decision.

He argues the province needs at least two 3T machines in order to bring diagnostic imaging up to standards – one in Saint John and another in Moncton, which are both specialized hospitals.

Tait said the Saint John caucus supports the idea of a 3T unit for the Regional Hospital, but there are other considerations.

"We’re not arguing, and not going to argue with anybody that there isn’t greater benefits in having a 3T. And we do understand those benefits," he said.

"But this is more than just providing a million dollars to upgrade from a 1.5 to a 3. There’s other implications, there is cost implications.

"If you have one 3T in Saint John then you can be assured that there will be more ordered from other parts of the province, [patients will] be coming to Saint John to have their MRIs and the wait lists that are excessive now will become greater."

Policies needed

Tait said the provincial government needs greater controls and policies on the number of MRIs that are ordered in New Brunswick.

"They’re 21 per cent higher than the national average. We don’t understand why and there’s no policy in place as to when you order an MRI," he said.

"There needs to be greater understanding from everybody and where we’re going to go with this in the future."

Dr. John Whalen, the clinical department head of diagnostic imaging at the Saint John Regional Hospital, has long argued the 3T machines produce higher resolution and finer imaging, which results in better diagnoses and better surgery and treatment plans for patients with conditions such as brain tumours.

He maintains the 3T is ideal for the province's only accredited tertiary trauma centre, which offers specialized services, such as neurology and cardiology.

Saint John Lancaster MLA Dorothy Shephard, who is chairwoman of the Saint John caucus, said the province won’t rule out buying 3T machines in the future. But the 1.5Ts will suffice for now.

She said she is "disappointed" that Parrott has expressed a divisive opinion.

"The fact is a little over a week ago we were all together, we were all discussing our priorities," said Shephard.

"We had all discussed our decision on the MRIs, and moving forward we're looking towards ORs and primary care as our priorities — and we were all comfortable with that decision."