MRI facility up and ready for operation – Deputy PM

Persons in St Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as those from around the region, will soon be able to access Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) services at the Modern Medical and Diagnostic Centre in Georgetown.

Assurance of this was given by Deputy Prime Minister Montgomery Daniel on NBC radio on Wednesday.

Although the cost of the services has not yet been made available, Minister Daniel said there will be a 30 per cent discount for nationals and a 20 per cent discount for non nationals.

Attempts by SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday to find out the cost were unsuccessful, as the rates for the use of the MRI had been submitted to Cabinet for approval.

Before the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Minister Daniel told listeners to NBC that the MRI facility is ready; and that the services “should be up and running very very soon”.

The minister explained that a trial run had already been already done, and that “the facility is ready to be operated.”

The MRI facility in Georgetown was officially launched on June 29. The diagnostic equipment was obtained through a partnership with the Maria Holder Memorial Trust in Barbados.

MRI provides a detailed scan of soft tissues such as the brain to assist with diagnosis.