The recent agreement made by the P.E.I. government to cover Islanders’ MRI scans at a private clinic in Summerside is expected to cost up to $720,000. Health P.E.I. confirmed this figure in a statement to CBC News. The province’s aim with this agreement is to reduce the need for individuals requiring MRI scans to travel to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.
Health P.E.I. also mentioned that a previous agreement providing scans for Islanders at a private MRI clinic in Moncton concluded on March 31, costing the province $3.8 million and offering 2,600 MRI appointments for Island patients. While there is no current contract with the MRI facility in Moncton, Health P.E.I. assured that they are continuously evaluating the health needs of Islanders and will increase capacity as necessary to maintain service levels.
MRI scans are crucial for detecting tumors and diagnosing various internal issues in the body. The Summerside clinic is expected to start offering publicly funded scans this month. Health P.E.I. and the province view this agreement as a way to reduce wait times for scans, with current wait times of up to 107 days for semi-urgent MRI scans and 730 days for non-urgent scans. The target wait times are 28 days for semi-urgent scans, 84 days for non-urgent scans, and 14 days for urgent scans.
The agreement has sparked skepticism from Gord McNeilly, the health critic for the Opposition Liberal Party, who raised concerns about the “private creep” trend. He suggested that the province should focus on enhancing access within the public health-care system rather than partnering with private clinics. McNeilly emphasized the importance of investing more in improving healthcare services in the region.