The British Columbia government says it will invest $11 million in a bid to cut wait times for those who need MRIs.
The province hopes the extra funding will provide 37,000 more MRIs to British Columbians by March 2019.
Health Minister Adrian Dix made the announcement Tuesday and said improving wait times is key to restoring patient access and outcomes.
"Wait times are simply too long in B.C., in part due to volumes that are 35 to 40 per cent less than other provinces," he said.
According to the Ministry of Health, half of patients needing an MRI have to wait more than 41 days and 10 per cent of all patients reported waiting over 199 days.
The number of MRIs conducted in the province is also much lower than the national average.Thirty-three out of every thousand British Columbians receive the service as opposed to the nationwide average of 55 MRIs for every one thousand people.
The BC Nurses Union told CTV news that, while they welcome the announcement, they remain concerned as to how the government will tackle possible staffing shortages .
“The government must work with us in order to ensure that there are enough nurses and other health care professionals to ensure success. A comprehensive human resources plan for health care is required,” said acting president Christine Sorensen.
The announcement is part of the province’s Surgical and Diagnostic Strategy, which also aims to add 9,400 more surgeries within the province’s public health-care system by this time next year.
Last week, the B.C. government also announced improvements to dental surgery wait times for people with disabilities and hip and knee surgery wait times.
