TRHA official: MRI machine still not working

After being out of commission for the past 18 months, the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine at the Scarborough General Hospital, Tobago, is still not working.

This was said by Jefferson Guy, manager of bio-medical engineering, Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA).

Guy was among the THRA officials who appeared before a joint select committee meeting of the Public Administration and Appropriation Committee (PAAC) on Wednesday to examine the internal controls, expenditure and the accessibility and availability of diagnostic imaging services at the public health institutions, in particular the TRHA.

THA chief administrator Bernadette Solomon-Koroma; administrator, Division of Health, Wellness and Social Protection Shirley Trim; and Scarborough hospital medical chief of staff Dr Victor Wheeler also addressed the committee.

Fyzabad MP and committee member Dr Lackram Bodoe noted that the machine had failed during the covid19 lockdown period in 2020 and was in dire need of repair or replacement.

Guy said the machine went down in June 2020 “and since then we have been trying to get it back up.”

He added, “We had some serious issues with regard to the pandemic. The machine is in a quenched state (reduced intensity) and as a result of the system being in this state, the magnet is worn. It required specialist engineers coming in and there are only a few of them in the world.

“Unfortunately, because the pandemic was ravaging through Europe, they had limitations in allowing their engineers to travel as well as our country was also in lockdown for a period.”

Guy said once the lockdown was lifted and foreigners were allowed to travel to the country, arrangements were made for the engineers to get to Tobago.

“So, that is the reason why it took some time to get the guys on site. But as of last year, October-November 2021, is when the engineers would have been able to be on site and start doing their data collection.”

He said in early December “we started the actual process of trying to get the system up and running.”

Bodoe, who described the machine as a “big ticket item,” wondered what was in place to assist patients needing MRIs during the period.

Wheeler said since the MRI machine stopped working, some of its functions are being carried out by a CT scanner.

“So, any investigations that required the MRI that the CT can do, the CT was used instead.”

However, Wheeler said for those procedures which required the MRI, “we have an arrangement with a provider in Trinidad where we would outsource that service to the provider and the RHA would fund the cost of the MRI.”

He added, “So, even though we don’t have a functioning MRI, patients who really need to have an MRI done, had it done by the private provider in Trinidad.”

Bodoe asked Wheeler to provide the cost, in writing, that the TRHA would have incurred over the period.

Wheeler said the CT scanner, which is approaching its “end of life,” had stopped working last year but was repaired.

Guy added the TRHA is looking for a replacement.

“One of the things that we have as an arrangement with our supplier is to inform us when the equipment is arriving at its end of life state.

“So, we were informed of the end of life for the equipment is coming up and we have started the process of looking into its replacement. But the machine continues to function and is functioning well and we do not have a loss of service. We continue to provide safety scans at the Tobago Regional Health Authority.”

PAAC chairman Bridgid Annisette-George, referring to an earlier TRHA submission to the committee, noted that the CT scanner had reached the end of its life one year ago.

“Mr Guy, I believe this submission is as of January 2021. We are a whole year later. So, in 2021, in January we were being told the unit has reached the end of life. I understand the arrangement you have with your supplier. So, what would have been the date or the period or the month in what year would have been identified as the end of life,” she asked.

Guy said he did not have the exact date in front of him but it can be provided to the committee through the TRHA’s new CEO Simon Wiltshire.