Dr R Edwards

In the Beacon (April 15), Dr Chris Moyes, raises an important issue that has long been on the “ back burner” of our regional health authority regarding the provision of an onsite MRI facility in Whakatāne.

I am a retired consultant physician who has worked at Whakatāne Hospital for many years and know from experience what this means for all clinicians working in the area.

In this day and age, any modern hospital without an onsite MRI scanner is clearly lacking an important facility for the delivery of timely and appropriate care for the local residents.

It is a non-invasive diagnostic tool which uses safe contrast imaging, unlike CT scans, which use Iodine-based derivatives together with the extra hazard of radiation.

Hence it is a tool with a definite advantage over CT scans.

On-site MRI is a valuable essential tool in the assessment of many acute medical and surgical conditions that require urgent, appropriate treatment on site and for the timely transfer of patients to a tertiary health facility with expertise in that field without the delays involved by transferring the patient to another facility with MRI facilities for confirmation.

The issue also reflects a broader rural health equity challenge for patients living outside major centres, who often face longer travel times and reduced access to specialised diagnostic services compared with those in larger centres.

The senior staff in Whakatāne Hospital must insist on a quick and satisfactory response from our regional health authority to fulfil this long-ignored essential resource for safe and effective management of patients under their care in Whakatāne.