Victoria Hospitals Foundation launched a campaign on Wednesday to raise $11 million for medical-imaging equipment — the largest campaign goal ever for the foundation.
A campaign started in 2021 aimed to raise $10 million for medical equipment, a goal it reached in May after 18 months.
The new goal is to raise money to purchase three new imaging machines — a CT scanner, a SPECT/CT scanner and a C-Arm — and refurbish three existing MRI machines at a cost of $2 million each.
Up to 500 people receive medical-imaging scans each day at Royal Jubilee and Victoria General hospitals.
Dr. Alan Andrew, Island Health’s medical director for medical imaging, said at the campaign launch at Royal Jubilee on Wednesday that upgrading the three MRI machines is the most cost-effective and least-disruptive way to improve what the health-care system can offer.
Each machine will be “essentially new” at one-third of the cost of a replacement once the upgrades are done, he said.
Sophie Shackleton — whose daughter Odette had her first MRI when she was just a day old — said at the campaign launch that MRIs have become very important for the toddler’s well-being.
Odette, who turns two on Oct. 15, was born with a form of dwarfism, Shackleton said.
When she developed symptoms at eight months of hydrocephalus — the accumulation of fluid in the brain — she had her second MRI, which turned out be life-saving, Shackleton said.
The infant was diagnosed with hydrocephalus and a severe spinal-cord compression, and flown to B.C. Children’s Hospital for immediate treatment.
MRIs have become a vital tool in monitoring Odette’s overall health, Shackleton said. “She will have an MRI every year for at least the next few years.”
Currently, that means a trip to Vancouver due to the specialized process required, Shackleton said, but with the new equipment, Odette could have her MRIs in the capital region.
Foundation chief executive Avery Brohman said medical imaging is the area of greatest need in local hospitals right now.
It’s “often the catalyst to the care that follows, and serves every kind of patient, from pediatrics to seniors, from cardiac to stroke.”
“This campaign will ensure the next decade of scans performed in our hospitals will be an improvement to what we currently have access to.”
Donors have already contributed $1.7 million toward the campaign.
Donations can be made at online at victoriahf.ca/imaging, by calling the foundation at 250-519-1750, by visiting the foundation offices at Royal Jubilee, or through mailing a cheque to the foundation at Wilson Block, 1952 Bay St., Victoria, B.C. V8R 1J2.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
