Huron-Kinloss urged to provide extra funding for MRI at Kincardine hospital

The Kincardine and Community Health Care Foundation is calling on Huron-Kinloss Township to provide extra funding for the major redevelopment project, in order to bring an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine to the Kincardine hospital.

Murray Elston (above) and Graham Mahood of the “Building Health Care for Generations” capital campaign were at the township’s committee-of-the-whole meeting Dec. 4, presenting information and making the request for $300,000 in additional funding over and above the $600,000 the township has already pledged to the project.

Elston thanked council for its positive response to the last presentation by the foundation, and the pledge of support from the township.

The original hospital redevelopment saw a requirement to raise $12-million in the community. Back in February, the Ontario government approved an MRI machine at the Kincardine hospital which has increased the capital campaign to $18-million.

“The MRI takes high-resolution pictures," said Elston. "The doctors really want this machine because it means a faster diagnosis which benefits patients."

The CT scanner went live March 20 at the Kincardine hospital and from that date until July 31, the medical imaging team completed 1,238 CT scans, including 725 outpatient scans, 430 emergency scans, and 83 urgent inpatient scans.

“We had estimated that we would be doing 5,000 scans per year,” said Elston, “but we’ve blown that out of the park.”

He said Kincardine needs an MRI due to the hospital's geographic location which includes large portions of Bruce and Grey counties. Its primary catchment areas are the Municipality of Kincardine and Township of Huron-Kinloss, and to a smaller degree, the Municipalities of Brockton, West Grey, Arran-Elderslie, South Bruce, Hanover, Chatsworth, Southgate and Saugeen Shores.

“Our total catchment population, as of 2021, is 114,500 permanent residents, with an additional seasonal population of 36,500-plus,” said Elston. “The 25-year population projection (combined) is for 145,280 residents.”

The current wait times for an MRI are quite extensive, he said, and patients are required to travel great distances for MRI services. The closest centres are in Owen Sound, Stratford and Waterloo.

The long distance is especially challenging for marginalized populations, such as the disabled, elderly and Amish. Patient travel is often required between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in order to travel large distances and arrive for appointments in the middle of the night.

Elston said it’s estimated that the MRI machine would do 2,500 scans per year but that is likely a low estimate, as demonstrated by the high demand for CT scans.

He said the foundation has requested $1.5-million from Bruce County for the hospital development project, and is back to the township requesting an additional $300,000 for a total commitment of $900,000 for the capital campaign.

“We will be asking Kincardine for a total of $3.5-million,” said Elston, which is up from the $2.4-million originally requested.

“We can’t get an MRI machine soon enough,” said councillor Larry Allison.

“Thank you for your presentation,” said mayor Don Murray. “We will take this to budget talks and I expect we’ll be supportive.”

Elston said he is not sure when the build will begin. The capital campaign runs for four years, and the committee is committed to fund-raise for as long as it takes.

“We said this project would help with the recruitment of physicians,” said Elston. “It has already done that. Updated equipment is attracting doctors to the area.”