B.C. NDP promises 8 MRI machines and 10 CT scanners if re-elected

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby announced Tuesday he will add 8 new MRI machines and 10 new CT scanners if re-elected, plus introduce co-ordinated regional surgical waitlists that let patients choose which hospital offers the shortest wait. One of the new MRI machines is promised for Eagle Ridge Hospital in Coquitlam.

The announcement comes after a June survey by Consultant Specialists of BC found nearly one-quarter of British Columbians are currently on waitlists to see medical specialists, with the number growing 10 per cent per year. Dr. Robert Carruthers, the group's president, said the B.C. Health Ministry uses selective statistics that focus on post-consultation surgery wait times while avoiding specialist consultation wait times themselves.

Eby said the NDP has added more than 1,800 specialists, 21 new MRI units, and 15 new CT scanners since forming government in 2017. Completed MRI exams are up 108 per cent since then; completed CT exams are up 61 per cent. The party also promised to expand health-care worker recruitment targeting U.S. surgeons, medical lab technicians, and medical imaging technologists facing staff shortages. The provincial election is set for October 24.