Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) will add a third magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, thanks to operational funding from the provincial government.
Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, along with Barrie—Innisfil MPP Andrea Khanjin, announced today the Ontario government is providing an additional $800,000 in annual operational funding, enabling RVH to run a third, much-needed MRI.
“RVH, along with our partner hospitals in Midland, Collingwood, and Muskoka, are among 27 hospitals in Ontario to have received operational funding for an MRI. This commitment to further supporting healthcare in our region ensures patients across Simcoe Muskoka have enhanced access to diagnostic imaging and will relieve pressure on the healthcare system as a whole,” says Gail Hunt, RVH president and CEO.
RVH provides 70 per cent of the total MRI scans in the region. There are currently more than 7,300 people on the wait list – 470 of them are cancer-related patients.
“This funding will help hospitals, like RVH, address the backlog of patients requiring imaging services that accumulated during the pandemic,” says Doug Downey, MPP for Barrie – Springwater – Oro-Medonte. “Having accessible state-of-the-art healthcare in our community is of vital importance to residents. This funding will also ensure patients can be seen in a timely manner to help best serve their medical needs.”
“Having healthcare services close to home is a game changer,” says Andrea Khanjin, MPP for Barrie-Innisfil. “Having more diagnostic scan capacity at RVH means that we can save patients and their family’s precious time. They can get the scans they need locally, spending less time on the road and more time with their loved ones. This will bring peace of mind and better health outcomes for the people in our community.”
The new MRI machine will be purchased through funds raised by RVH Foundation and it is hoped it will be onsite and operational within the next 24 months.
“Our region will continue to experience rapid population growth over the next decade, putting additional strain on our current resources,” says Dr. Raj Grover, RVH Medical Director of Medical Imaging. “Today’s announcement is exactly what the doctor ordered. A third MRI will allow our Medical Imaging Department to expand services, reduce wait times, and provide optimal timely patient care for the most complex and urgent cases for patients now, and in the future.”