Towns in tug-of-war over new MRI

Two communities in central Newfoundland arecompeting overthe promiseof a new MRI machinein Tuesday's provincial budget.

Finance Minister Tom Marshall announced $3 million for a new MRI machine, but didn't say which community would get it. The two main hospitals in the region, the James Paton Memorial Hospital in Gander and the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor, are now at odds over who will get the expensive piece of diagnostic equipment.

The hospital in Grand Falls-Windsor is a 130-bed facility designed to serve a rural population of 110,000, while the hospital in Gander has a 92-bed capacity. Its website states it serves a catchment population of 53,000 for primary care and 117,000 for specialty services.

Rex Barnes, mayor of Grand Falls-Windsor, said he wants the MRI in his hospital.

"We believe we do service the greater need for health care and it should be in Grand Falls-Windsor," he said.

Claude Elliott, mayor of Gander, said it would make more sense to put the MRI in Gander's hospital.

"Five out of the six doctors that order MRIs are stationed out of Gander," he said.

Both sides have already made their pitch to Minister of Health Ross Wiseman.

Barnes said he suggested that government let an independent consultant make a recommendation.

"The bottom line is, keep politics out of it and we'll be happy," he said.

Wiseman said the province will find a way to make an objective decision in consultation with the regional health authorities, Central West Health, and Central East Health. He didn't say when the decision will be made, but he did say it will happen soon.

Altogether, the province announced $52 million to invest in new health-care equipment for hospitals across the province.