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Yukon MRI scans up 400 per cent

A new MRI machine at Whitehorse General hospital means fewer Yukoners need to travel south for diagnostic procedure

'We're probably going to be over 2,000 in our first year,' says hospital CEO

CBC News ·
An MRI machine.
The first MRI machine North of 60 will begin scanning patients next week. (CBC)

Yukon doctors are taking advantage of Whitehorse General Hospital's magnetic resonance imaging machine (MRI) to diagnose their patents.

The MRI at the hospital is the first in northern Canada. It went into operation in January 2015 and was used more than 1,700 times in its first ten months.

"Right now we are meeting all of the expectations we have for for wait times." said Yukon Hospital Corporation CEO Jason Bilsky. "Urgent cases are seen within seven days. Semi-urgent cases will be seen within 30 days or one month.  Non-urgent will be seen within six months."

Jason Bilsky, the CEO of the Yukon Hospital Corporation, promised that future projects, such as the expansion of the Whitehorse hospital, will be better-managed. (CBC)
Emergency patients can often be dealt with immediately, but there are a number of people that still must be flown south for the diagnostic procedure.

"There are still a number of MRIs that are being sent out because we are not capable of doing them.  They could be in a situation where a child needs sedation and we technically can't do that." said Bilsky.  Others may need to travel south for higher risk or specialized scans. 

The MRI cost $6.8 million.

A $72 million project underway at the hospital includes a new emergency ward and shelled-in second floor space for future use.

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