Mobile MRI to be deployed to Regina General, Pasqua Hospitals

In an attempt to cut down on medical imaging wait times, the government intends to deploy a mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner in Regina.

The province plans to lease the $2.4 million unit for a 24-month period beginning in 2024. The scanner will increase scan capacity by 5,000 patients during its planned deployment.

The unit is set to be installed at the Regina General Hospital (RGH) and then relocated to the Pasqua Hospital once “the infrastructure to house the unit is in place.”

"We are committed to reducing wait times for MRI scans that are needed to determine next steps for patients' diagnosis and treatment," Health Minister Everett Hindley said in a news release.

"With the increase in capacity, we ensure patients are receiving timely health care interventions. Work is ongoing to permanently increase medical imaging volumes provincially, to sustain these efficiencies long term."

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The mobile MRI unit will allow the Pasqua to perform scans that are typically sent to the RGH – while allowing an additional option for referrals in southern Saskatchewan.

"Using an MRI is becoming increasingly important in the diagnosis and assessment of many different conditions including stroke, breast cancer, and cardiac function among many others,” Saskatchewan Health Authority Provincial Clinical and Support Services VP Bryan Witt said in the release.

“Having an MRI located directly in our hospitals also provides more access to MRI for our inpatients who increasingly rely on this imaging as part of their hospital journey."

The government plans to begin its request for proposals (RFP) to determine a vendor for the unit in early 2024.

The scanner is expected to be operational by summer of 2024.