THE Manning’s pressing need for a Medicare-eligible Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) service has been raised in federal parliament.
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Independent Lyne MP Rob Oakeshott addressed parliament, urging the federal government to recognise the Manning as an ‘area of need’ in order to qualify for a Medicare-eligible service.
“This week a compelling formal submission will be lodged based on the ‘area of need’ criteria, and I again draw decision makers’ attention to the facts,” Mr Oakeshott said.
“Of the 5559 patients examined at the Port Macquarie Base Hospital MRI service in the 12 months to June 30, 2011, more than 20 per cent, or about 1100, had to travel from the Manning-Great Lakes region.
“Also, the clear advice I have previously received from the Manning Hospital director of radiology, Dr Shamsie Sherif, and Mr Michael Odgers from Mid-North Coast Diagnostic Imaging is that the best clinical outcome for the community would be to have an MRI service located in the Manning Hospital.
“I understand that any alternative location would require inpatients to be transported with a nurse escort, causing serious disruption to the patient and at considerable expense to the local health district.
“In contrast, the cost to the health district of establishing the MRI service in the Manning Hospital would be minimal.
“Mid-North Coast Diagnostic Imaging has previously advised that it would meet the costs of providing the MRI machine, doing the necessary shielding of the treatment area and staffing the service,” Mr Oakeshott said.
“The case for Medicare-eligible MRI services in the Manning is very strong, and everyone in the Manning will look forward with much anticipation to an announcement from the government soon.”