Lowvelders will no longer have to travel outside the province for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services. The Mpumalanga Department of Health (DoH) has confirmed that the province’s only state-owned MRI scanner – worth R36 million – is now operational at Rob Ferreira Hospital.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) had repeatedly questioned why the scanner, purchased in September last year, remained idle for months while patients were transported to Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria for MRI scans.

In June, the DA lodged a request with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate the delay.

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“The health department told us the MRI scanner was not working because they had no trained radiographers to operate it,” said Bosman Grobler, the DA spokesperson for health in the Mpumalanga legislature.

The DoH confirmed the scanner was ordered in September 2022, with delivery taking several months from Germany, arriving in South Africa in February 2023.

 

“It was delivered to Rob Ferreira Hospital on March 10, installed the same month, and commissioned in April,” said DoH spokesperson Dumisani Malamule.

Malamule added that while the hospital had radiographers employed for more than five years, none had previously been appointed specifically for MRI. “All radiographers at the hospital, along with three doctors, have been trained,” he said.

While the DA put the scanner’s cost at R40 million, the department clarified it was R36 million.

Despite previous concerns, the DoH insists the scanner has been fully functional since April. An inspection by the DA and SAHRC on September 9 confirmed that all was in order.

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“The DA welcomes the fact that the only state-owned MRI scanner at Rob Ferreira is finally working after our constant pressure on the health department. This is a major victory for Mpumalanga residents who previously had to travel out of the province for MRI services,” said Grobler.

“The department reported that 66 MRI scans have been conducted since the beginning of May and that patients from across the province are booked on a system to manage demand,” he added.

However, Grobler expressed concern that critical patients requiring intubation cannot yet be scanned, as the hospital is still waiting for specialised equipment to perform complex MRIs.

The SAHRC confirmed receiving the DA’s complaint but also verified the scanner’s current functionality.

“During our site inspection, we confirmed the machine is fully functional and there is no backlog. Sixty-six patients have been scanned so far. The department also plans to procure equipment in the future for intubated patients,” said Eric Mokonyama, SAHRC Mpumalanga office manager, in a letter to the DA, seen by Lowvelder.