VICTORIA -- A whopping 12,000-pound magnet destined for a new, state-of-the-art MRI machine is arriving at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital Tuesday.
The massive magnet is the cornerstone piece of equipment of the new MRI machine, which is expected to reduce patient wait times and improve scan accuracy across the Central Island.
On Jan. 21, a crane will lift the 5,440-kilogram magnet into the hospital, where it will then be rolled into a new 1,100-square-foot space near the hospital's emergency department.
In total, the $1.97-million MRI machine is equipped with advanced technology that will make small, automatic corrections to help improve exam accuracy and reduce the need for repeat examinations.
The new medical suite is expected to enter service by April.
The installation of Nanaimo's new MRI system marks the second MRI to be installed on the island in less than a year. In October 2019, a 3T MRI scanner came into service at Victoria's Royal Jubilee Hospital.
The 3T scanner is approximately twice the strength of the Royal Jubilee's previous MRI machine and is expected to provide 500 additional exam opportunities for patients on the South Island.
"This investment will make it easier for people to get access to this important diagnostic tool when they need it," said B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix back in July, when Nanaimo's new MRI was first announced.
