National MRI centre nears completion, with machine due in November
The main chiller has been installed and the scanner is expected to arrive in early November, with installation taking about a week.
BASSETERRE, St Kitts. The National MRI Centre, which will bring magnetic resonance imaging to the Joseph N. France General Hospital, has passed another construction milestone with the installation of its main chiller system.
According to the government, the remaining electrical, network and air-conditioning work will now move ahead, and construction will begin on a Faraday cage, which shields the scanning room from outside radio interference.
The MRI machine is scheduled to arrive in the Federation in early November. Installation is expected to take about seven days, after which the centre will be commissioned. No commissioning date has been given.
Acting Prime Minister Dr Geoffrey Hanley, who has responsibility for health, said the centre is part of wider efforts to improve healthcare and reduce the need for patients to travel overseas for specialist care.
"This is about building a stronger, more accessible healthcare system," Dr Hanley said.
