We are looking to have big improvements in Thompson’s medical system in the near future as Wab Kinew mandated on October 18th that health minister; Uzoma Asagwara follows through with presenting the Thompson General Hospital with a new MRI machine.
For background, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a diagnostic imaging test that uses magnetic field and radio frequencies to obtain detailed images of soft tissues in your body such as the brain, heart, liver and joints. While CT scans are often better at imaging bones, MRIs provide a better contrast of soft tissue to diagnose issues.
So with this technology now closely attainable to the Nickel Belt region those in dire need of immediate attention don’t have to travel to Winnipeg, but rather get all the proper attention needed right in Thompson.
The MRI is a type of service ran by Shared Health Diagnostic Services, in which Shared Health oversees diagnostic services in the province, and is working with the Manitoba government to establish MRI services in Thompson. Planning for this initiative, which will improve access to care for residents in the community and region.
The Northern Health Region(NHR) Says that “Having this service available in the north would be a timely benefit for patients as well as clinicians making treatment decisions. The NHR welcomes opportunities to improve patient care closer to home”
One main advocator for making this need a possibility was current MLA; Eric Redhead, in which he directly worked with Kinew to push this agenda forward.
“This is something I’ve constantly heard from health care workers and people from the North, that this is a priority of Thompson” Affirmed Redhead, “We’re the hub of for healthcare in Northern Manitoba and I hear horror stories of people having to travel the 8 hours in the -40 blizzards to get a scan”
Redhead stated that such conditions for something as required as an MRI “is unacceptable”, in which the request is currently on the health minister’s desk and is assured to move forward with the mandate this spring. Redhead assured that even though they need to bring the request forward to be assessed to the Province budget, Redhead stated “It’s a commitment, we’re gonna make it happen”.
~Matthias J. Johnson is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Thompson Citizen. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
