A second MRI scanner at University Hospital Limerick is set to be delivered by this Sunday.
The much-needed unit will address the current MRI capacity issues at the hospital, providing an extra 4,500 scans annually at the facility.
Clare’s Junior Minister Pat Breen has confirmed to Clare FM that the first patients at the region’s main hospital will be scanned in the new unit the week beginning December 16th.
The service will be available Monday to Friday, from 8.30am to 5pm and it’s being operated by Alliance Medical Diagnostic Imaging Ltd for two years, with the option for extension by a further two years if needed.
News of a second modular scanner was confirmed by the HSE in mid-November, with its statement saying the move would see a significant cut in the number of patients left waiting on trolleys in the emergency department.
While this is being put in place as an interim solution, a more permanent unit is also progressing.
The extension of UHL’s Radiology Department, which will include a second permanent MRI unit has been prioritised by the HSE to progress to design stage in 2020.
However, this will take a number of years to deliver.
