16/5/02
The Western Australian Government will move immediately to purchase a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner for Princess Margaret Hospital, Health Minister Bob Kucera announced today.
The move will benefit children all over WA.
Mr Kucera said the $70million allocated in this week's Federal Budget for radiological oncology services did not include a commitment to cover the operating costs of an MRI at WA's only children's hospital.
"Princess Margaret Hospital has been fighting for an MRI for 10 years," he said.
"As a result of the Commonwealth's failure to act, the State Government has stepped in to ensure this vital diagnostic tool is available to our kids."
The State Government has set aside $2million to purchase an MRI for the children's hospital and had been seeking a Medicare licence from the Commonwealth to help offset its running costs - estimated at up to $1million a year.
The State Government is currently in discussions with Telethon in relation to future funding of the machine.
Mr Kucera said the Commonwealth's failure to meet its responsibilities prompted the State Government to act immediately - particularly in the light of compelling new evidence about the use of multiple CT scans in infants and very young children.
Limited access to MRIs meant some WA children have to undergo CT scans instead.
"It has been known for some time that CT technology is not ideal for young children," the Minister said.
"However, I wrote to the Federal Health Minister two weeks ago with fresh evidence of the need for an MRI at Princess Margaret based on new research.
"Last month's Journal of Paediatric Radiology (Vol 32, No 4, April 2002) has exposed the relative risk of infants and very young children developing cancer as a result of radiation exposure from repeated CT scans.
"There has been absolutely no reaction from the Commonwealth to this new research and as a State Government, we had to act."
Mr Kucera said the Commonwealth's offer of $500,000 to help fund the operating costs of the MRI would not go far and money would have to be found within the existing health budget to pay for it if a Medicare licence could not be secured in the short to medium term.
He said the State Government would continue to pursue a Medicare licence for PMH.
"There is no doubt that the Commonwealth's MRI policy has been a disaster for WA," he said.
"Four Medicare licences have been granted to private-for-profit operators since 1998 but not a single licence had gone to a WA public hospital for at least nine years.
"To make it even more unfair, children's hospitals in most other States have access to a Medicare-licensed MRI scanner."
Mr Kucera said an analysis of statistics compiled by the Health Insurance Commission revealed adults with knee and shoulder injuries - many acquired from playing sport - took precedent over the needs of children with serious illnesses.
He said the State Government would continue to press the Commonwealth for fairness and equity in the allocation of Medicare licences.
"In the meantime, I have asked the Director-General of Health to review the current configuration of our existing MRI services - particularly for people living in the south metropolitan catchment area," the Minister said.
Mr Kucera said a procurement plan for MRI services, which would include replacements for old machines at Royal Perth and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, was currently being developed.
Minister's office: 9213 7000
