Archived News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

January 8, 2016

Province Releases Tender for New MRI Suite at Dauphin Regional Health Centre

– – –
New Equipment to Add Provincial Capacity, Reduce Wait Times: Minister Blady

DAUPHIN—The Manitoba government will be adding more magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) capacity for patients in the Dauphin area and to the provincial system by releasing a tender for the installation of a suite at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre, Health Minister Sharon Blady announced here today.

“This new MRI in Dauphin will not only help patients get the care they need closer to home, but also help reduce waits at other sites across the province.  Building an MRI suite at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre will add capacity for approximately 3,750 exams per year for patients in Dauphin and surrounding communities,” said Minister Blady.

The MRI suite will be located in a new, approximately 2,500-sq.-ft. building at the facility and include the MRI control room, the MRI room, equipment and waiting rooms, washrooms, housekeeping, storage, change rooms and staff work areas.

“The announcement that we will soon have a second MRI unit operating within the region is excellent news,” said Penny Gilson, chief executive officer, Prairie Mountain Health.  “This will greatly benefit residents of the west-central part of our health region by enhancing patient- and client-centered care, and reducing travel and wait times for this particular diagnostic test.”

The minister noted that locating the new MRI suite near the current diagnostic imaging department and future emergency department space will make it more efficient for staff working and patients.  In addition, new computed tomography (CT) equipment will be installed to replace existing equipment.  This equipment, which will be installed by April 2016, offers the latest improvements in minimizing patient radiation exposure and will improve image quality, the minister noted.

Design work is underway on the redevelopment of the emergency department at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre, Minister Blady said, adding that once the design phase is completed, the project is expected to go to tender.

“When we’re designing new areas of a hospital, it’s important to remember these are complex buildings that need to meet the needs of both health-care providers and patients,” said Minister Blady.  “We need to take the time to get the details right to ensure the new emergency department will be able to serve the community for many years to come.”

Once the tender for the MRI suite is awarded, construction is expected to take about 12 months, the minister said.

- 30 -