Now they have to pay for it ...

In a rush to start helping patients the North Bay Regional Health Centre went out on a limb by taking possession of hi-tech diagnostic imaging equipment with a loan so now the pressure is on the Seeing More Clearly Campaign Cabinet to come up with funds to cover the expense.

The campaign team has had their collective noses to the grindstone for quite some time and on Tuesday they celebrated hitting the halfway mark by announcing they have raised $3.4 million of the needed $6 million.

The total cost of the equipment will total more than $10 million and the Foundation has committed to help the community raise $6 million.

"Many leadership donors have come forward over the last few months. Today we are announcing the support of 72 donors. In recognizing their commitment we are hoping to inspire the community to take part. This phase of the campaign is a call to action for everyone to get involved,” says Campaign Co-Chair Al McDonald.

In February, the Terry McKerrow Cat Scan Operating Fund Board stepped forward with the campaign lead gift of $1.5 million. Papa Joe's Memorial Ride for Cancer, Don and Diana Lefebvre pledged $110,000 and were the first to make a gift to the campaign.

Linda Brown, one of the first patients to have an MRI at the new facility, suffers with Claustrophobia and explained that the new equipment helped ease the stress for her and her family.



Hospital Tiz Silveri says the state of the art equipment helps attract new medical staff to the region.