Hospital to receive CT funding

Nipissing MPP Monique Smith says the North Bay General Hospital will be receiving funding to purchase a diagnostic imaging maching.

Smith says the announcement will mean more imaging and less waiting time. The machine is expected to be in place by the end of March.

Further information is included in the following news release issued today by Smith's office:

Nipissing MPP Monique Smith announced today that the McGuinty government is reducing wait times in Nipissing by funding a replacement CT machine, at the North Bay General Hospital, which will deliver an additional 1,800 CT scans.

“We are making this investment to ensure that people in Nipissing, suffering from significant health problems, do not have to wait long periods of time to be diagnosed and treated,” Smith said.

The funding for a replacement CT machine is part of an overall investment of more than $120 million to replace old MRI/ CT scanners, cardiac diagnostic and cancer radiation equipment with state of the art equipment, as well as increase the number of MRI hours at existing sites. It will result in a total of 119,865 additional procedures, including 37,581 MRIs, 81,268 CTs, and 1,016 cardiac diagnostic procedures. It will also improve access to critical treatment for cancer patients across Ontario.

“This announcement is a significant investment in the North Bay General Hospital and the enhancement of this technology will improve quick access to CT scans for the residents of North Bay and area,” said Mark Hurst, President and CEO of the North Bay General Hospital.

Today’s announcement is part of the McGuinty government’s comprehensive plan to improve health care in Ontario. It’s a plan that includes reducing wait times for key procedures, creating Family Health Teams, increasing the number of doctors and nurses, and investing heavily in community-based health care in order to ease the pressure on hospitals and deliver care where patients need it most — closer to home.