The region’s $1.5 million MRI machine arrives
The $1.5 million piece of lifesaving equipment is Europe’s top-of-the-line model when it comes to examination scope and image quality and has recently been installed at a number of other cutting edge Australian public and private imaging practices.
To be supervised by experienced local Healthcare Imaging Services (HIS) Radiologist, Dr Vijay Patheyar, the diagnostic service will be linked to other key HIS network sites, including its Epworth Hospital department in Melbourne, to provide further expert clinical opinion, review and support.
After three years of intensive behind-the-scenes work to achieve this outcome, South West Healthcare (SWH) Chief Executive Officer John Krygger says August 12 was a historic day for local patients and clinicians.
‘The arrival of the MRI machine is great news for the 110,000 people in our service area who have suffered massive inconvenience by being forced to travel at least two hours to get an MRI test elsewhere,’ he says.
The diagnostic service is expected to open in a month after the MRI machine is installed in a former HIS ultrasound room that’s been specially fitted with a Faraday cage to prevent high-degree radio frequency leakage. Come October there’ll be no more expensive and exhausting trips to Ballarat or beyond for a service other significant-sized regional centres take for granted.
Having said this however, the fight continues for the federal government to grant an MRI licence to provide Medicare rebates. Until this happens, private and referred patients will be charged an out-of-pocket fee; a cost HIS Chief Radiographer Luke Pontonio says will make it almost unaffordable for people who rely on Medicare support.
HIS, SWH and medical professionals from across the region are calling for immediate action to address this. ‘We believe we have a compelling case and are confident that which ever party wins the August-21 federal election, it will want to end this gross anomaly,’ says Mr Krygger.
The MRI machine arrives as South West Healthcare’s $115 million new Warrnambool Base Hospital nears fit-out stage. When it opens next May it will be one of the most modern and technologically advanced health services in regional Australia. It will enable staff to provide world’s best practice treatments, care and support to the 102,386 people who live in our part of the world – 10,323 square kilometres of South West Victoria.
HIS Victorian State Manager Dean Lewsam says his organisation is thrilled to be a part of SWH’s bright future. ‘We are delighted to partner with an organisation undergoing a significant growth phase with the construction of the new base hospital. We are also aware of the organisation’s role as the specialist referral centre and the dedicated trauma service for the region and see MRI as a natural extension of the current diagnostic capacity.’
The MRI machine’s arrival is the second time in less than a year Healthcare Imaging Services has bought first-time, space-age medical equipment to the community. The region’s first 64-slice Computed Tomography (CT) machine was a welcomed gift in 2009.
MRI does not replace all existing radio imaging services such as CT scans but specialists generally believe MRI is more appropriate for conditions relating to the brain, musculoskeletal joint imaging (knees, shoulders, wrists), several spinal conditions, many cancers and osteoporosis of the hip.
photo 1 Delighted with the arrival of the region’s first MRI machine is (from left) the Healthcare Imaging Services specialist who will supervise the new diagnostic service, Dr Vijay Patheyar, HIS Chief Radiographer Luke Pontonio and South West Healthcare CEO John Krygger.
photo 2 Up, up and away. (And if you think this week’s woeful weather was cold, the liquid helium for the MRI machine’s internal magnet – to ensure the highest of magnetic fields – sits at minus 273C!)
photo 3 The South West’s first MRI diagnostic service will open in a month.