Our MRI operational in a month

Megan Lewis | 3rd July 2009

A NEW MRI machine that will save the lives of brain injury patients will be fully operational at Rockhampton Hospital in just over a month.

Member for Rockhampton Robert Schwarten inspected the $6.5 million 3Tesla MRI scanner on Friday after it was delivered to the hospital last week.

“From what I've been told about this machine, I am confident it will be a life-saving device in terms of diagnosing brain injuries,” he said.

It is the first time an MRI scanner will be available in the Rockhampton Hospital. Previously patients were referred to a private clinic for scans.

The machine will perform up to 30 scans per day and has a life span of about eight years.

“It will allow the hospital to deal with these cases expeditiously, rather than send people elsewhere for the scans, meaning a diagnosis can occur a lot quicker and treatment can begin earlier,” Mr Schwarten said.

A series of tests will be conducted on the machine after it was lowered into the $500,000 custom built MRI suite through the ceiling.

Mr Schwarten said tests were expected to be completed at the end of next month and the scanner would be fully operational in August.

“With this piece of equipment now available it will bring imaging at Rockhampton Hospital to a whole new level and deliver an expanded service to Central Queensland.”

The project was a co-operative effort between the State and Federal governments after Federal Member for Capricornia Kirsten Livermore secured a Medicare licence for the machine.

The works to construct the MRI suite are part of the $74 million Rockhampton Hospital redevelopment program being delivered by the State Government.

Queensland Health allocated $7 million for the MRI over two financial years. $500,000 was allocated in 2008-09 to build and fit-out of the room and the remaining $6.5 million was allocated for the upcoming 2009-10 financial year for equipment.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Health Paul Lucas said the new technology was extremely complex and months of planning were done before the machine was lowered into place.

“Special radiofrequency and magnetic shielding have been installed for safety purposes, and a series of comprehensive tests will be done before the machine is operational.

“This testing is expected to be finished by the end of July and it is hoped the MRI will be ready for use in early August,” Mr Lucas said.

An MRI scanner requires an extraordinarily stable and powerful static magnetic field that combines with radiofrequency pulses and rapidly changing smaller magnetic fields to manipulate the hydrogen molecules in our bodies to generate images. The MRI is especially useful for attaining good images of spinal, brain and abdominal lesions.

MRI scanning does not take the place of CT scans for trauma or emergency patient diagnostic work.

It is useful for brain and spine scanning, not in accident victims, but for cases such as tumours and disc prolapses.