Manitoba upgrades medical equipment

Manitoba says it will spend $120 million in the next four years to upgrade old medical equipment, Health Minister Theresa Oswald said Monday.

The spending includes new magnetic imaging equipment at the Grace, Selkirk and Dauphin hospitals.

"By adding new equipment and replacing older, less-efficient machines with modern, specialized technology, doctors and health professionals will be able to provide more timely and accurate diagnostic services and treatment to patients across our province," Oswald said in a news release. There are currently eight MRIs in the provincial health-care system.

Other upgrades include a new cardiac CT scanner at St. Boniface General Hospital; a dual-head gamma camera at Victoria General Hospital to help doctors diagnose conditions such as cancer; and ultrasound scanners at Portage General Hospital, St. Boniface General Hospital, and two at the Health Sciences Centre.